Me in dance regalia

We are all related - Eagle Feather print

Paula Bidwell was born January 28th, 1953. She is of mixed Indian blood, Cherokee, Shawnee, Delaware and Seneca and Northern Italian from Barga Lucca. It was her Shawnee Grandpa, “Johnny Gibson” who named her into Deer Clan as “Welapama” (Bringer of Hope and Joy). Later in life, she lived on the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota where she found the home and people of her heart. It was during this time she was given another name “Kagnigapi Winyan” (Chosen Woman). An eternity of gratitude and love will always be felt for the people of Cheyenne River.

At age 10 she beaded her first pair of moccasins and has continued to practice the art of beadwork. She is also skilled in many other traditional crafts and ways of life. Paula is also a Traditional Powwow Dancer and Singer. She began to dance in the 1980’s and has won numerous prizes across the U.S. and Canada. In the ’90’s she began to sing with her family drum “Ho Ota Oka” and earned the status of “Wicaglata (Woman Singer) on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. Today Paula lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  

For stories and articles about native American metaphysics and ceremonies please see my blog at: http://talismanart.blogspot.com. and my home page at: http://www.nativetalismanart.com