Woodland Crow Leather

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ayanna Proctor is an enrolled citizen of the Piscataway Nation Turtle Clan and a descendant of the Susquehannock Nation. Ayanna is an award-winning quillwork artist as well as a cultural preservationist. She practices traditional woodland farming and hide tanning. Her artwork has exhibited in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

FEATURED WORK

2027 “ON NATIVE LAND” CALENDAR ARTIST

Bio: Ayanna I. Proctor is an enrolled citizen of the Piscataway Nation, Turtle Clan, and a descendant of the Susquehannock. Ayanna is a quillwork artist, freelance illustrator, and pre-contact living historian. She practices traditional woodland farming, hide tanning, wild-crafting, and other ancestral skills. Her quillwork has been featured in galleries and museums throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

What does “On Native Land” mean to you? Indigenous peoples have a long-standing, reciprocal, and respectful relationship with the Land, acting as its stewards from time immemorial. This connection involves managing resources for cultural persistence and survival; a practice that predates colonization and national borders. On Native Land is a recognition of this history, acknowledging that the land currently occupied was, and continues to be, the ancestral territories of various Tribal Nations. By acknowledging Native land, we honor the original inhabitants, recognize the impacts of colonization, and validate the continued presence and endurance of Indigenous communities. Understanding this history is vital to understanding the full context of the places we live and work today, and recognizing that our culture is not just ON the land, but OF the land.