Valerie St. Pierre Smith

About Valerie

"Aanii, ndinaawamagaanadog! Maygabow Ogidajew Kwe, nindizhinikaaz; Gaa-waabaabiganikaag + Um’oha, ndoonjibaa, Migizi ndoodem. Hello, my relatives! My Anishnaabe name is Woman Standing on the Mountaintop; Valerie St.Pierre Smith for English. My family is from White Earth, and I currently reside on the unceded lands of the Um’oha people, commonly known as Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. I am Eagle clan."

A two-spirit mischief maker, multi-disciplinary designer/artisan, scholar, writer, and healer, Valerie has an eclectic creative background including fashion, costume, and textile design. Her award winning costume designs have been seen across the U.S. with highlights that include McCarter Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Sea World: San Diego, the National Museum of the American Indian, and Pilobolus Dance Theatre. A bit of a unicorn, Valerie’s research and scholarly work focuses on indigenizing and decolonizing western design paradigms, pedagogies, and practices in a post-colonial world. Her creative practice is inspired by the craft and aesthetic traditions of her Anishnaabe heritage, exploring and reflecting her own experiences as a mixed blood Anishnaabe-kwe at the confluence of healing, social justice, traditional Anishinaabe teachings, and the power of identity. Valerie holds a B.F.A from Stephens College, and an M.F.A from San Diego State University. Miigwech agindan- thank you for reading.

For more information, visit Valerie's website or follow her on Instagram at @valeriestpierresmith.

As a creative and educator, I find it important to play as much as analyze; listen as much as talk; and to continually re-evaluate our inherited Western academic paradigms, processes, and practices. I encourage my students to find their voice, their center, and their confidence in themselves.