MEET THE MAKER

My name is Maddie Wiijishimotaw-Tagwanibisan (They/Them). I'm a twenty-something, Two-Spirit, mixed-Algonquin artist from the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation and Kitigan Zibi Anishinaabeg First Nation; based in Kitchener, Ontario.

I taught myself to bead in 2018 as a means of fostering a deeper connection to my Anishinaabek roots, but didn't start creating on a regular basis until March of 2019, shortly after my Father was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lymphoma. I started to create as an outlet for my restlessness, anxiety, sadness, frustration, and everything in between. The work became healing for me, as it continues to be to this day.

In addition to owning and operating Little Wolf + The Willow, I'm also an undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo, and a proud community activist (this means I am most often spotted with an iced coffee in one hand, and a megaphone in the other!)

I take great pride in the pieces I craft, and feel exceptional gratitude for the history, the land, the stories, and the people which inspire their creation.

I look forward to seeing where else this journey will take me, and I thank you for coming along too.