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Home / Products tagged “Spirit Animals”

Spirit Animals

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2018 Raccoon Spirit
Price range: $50.00 through $200.00
2018 Turtle Spirit
Price range: $150.00 through $250.00
Bear Spirit
Price range: $50.00 through $200.00
Buffalo Spirit
Price range: $40.00 through $200.00
Buffalo Spirit III
Price range: $50.00 through $300.00
Bumblebee Spirit
Price range: $50.00 through $200.00
Cat Spirit
Price range: $50.00 through $200.00
Cougar Spirit II
Price range: $50.00 through $300.00
Deer Spirit
Price range: $50.00 through $300.00

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Marlena Myles Art & Design

Recent Posts

Fabric Demos
Free Coloring Pages of the 3 Sisters/Sage & DIY Seed Packets
(Free download) Lyric Poster Collaboration with Tufawon
Free Coloring Book of Dakhóta plants & Landmaps of Mnísota
Design your own Dakota Floral worksheet

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the art of marlena myles

Marlena is a self-taught digital artist located in St. Paul, Minnesota. She uses her art to celebrate her Indigenous culture and language (Spirit Lake Dakota, Mohegan. Creek).

email: me [at] marlenamyl.es

mylesdesigns

Excited to share this excellent roundtable convers

Excited to share this excellent roundtable conversation I had with fellow Dakota women Ramona Kitto Stately and @bluehummingbirdwomanllc / @tanagidantowin for @barn_raising (interviewed by Sherry Kempf)! We explored how Dakota perspectives are reshaping maps, reclaiming place names, and reconnecting communities to the land’s history.

Mapping for us isn’t just geography—it's storytelling, honoring our ancestors, and teaching future generations to see the world through Dakota eyes.

Read how we're activating traditional knowledge in a modern age to create a deeper understanding of Dakota roots in Mnisota. Check out the article, link in bio. Let me know your thoughts! #nativeland #minnesota #dakotanation

✨Big thanks to @VisitSaintPaul for an incredible e

✨Big thanks to @VisitSaintPaul for an incredible evening at Taste of Saint Paul. I showed up representing Dakota people alongside my relative @tanagidantowin / @BlueHummingbirdWomanLLC! Honored to contribute to the future of Imníža Ska (Saint Paul) and meet Mayor @MWCarter3 @MayorCarter_—plus gifting him a copy of my Dakota land map was a highlight! 🌎🤝

Meeting the amazing Dr. @ArtiKaTyner was beyond inspiring, she already shared such great advice to help grow my Dakota publishing company @wiyounkihipi. 📚This was more than just a "Taste Saint Paul"—it was a night to remember. Grateful for the experience! #visitsaintpaul #saintpaulmn #twincities

I’m honored to serve as a jury member for @trejdeg

I’m honored to serve as a jury member for @trejdegsnis, celebrating the creativity of international youth! 🌟 This year, this Latvia-based nonprofit accepted over 300 entries from 8 countries that showcase how young minds interpret the "Tree of Life" and its importance in their communities 🌳

In the Dakota worldview, our sacred trees, way of life, and children are deeply connected—a reminder of the wisdom and inspiration our youngest generations bring. How are the children in your community inspiring you? Let’s celebrate their voices together, follow along and be inspired~ 🌍✨ #TreeOfLife #YouthCreativity

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The Cottonwood is a sacred tree, it is filled with stars & connects us with ours ancestors. In Dakota culture, the children taught us how to make tipis (our traditional houses): Adults watched them playfully make villages out of the Cottonwood Tree leaves. Medicine Man Black Elk said the spirits shared this wisdom with the young ones; a lesson reminding us to love and listen to our youngest generations. This lesson remains cherished today, inspiring us to honor and encourage the youngest among us.

✨ Excited to share my latest designs with you! ✨

✨ Excited to share my latest designs with you! ✨

Introducing my unisex & double-sided "Protect Your Spirit" T-shirt and high-waisted leggings – both stylish and meaningful. These pieces made their debut during my fashion show, and I’m thrilled to say I sold more than half of my first batch!

A new order is on its way, and you’ll be able to snag them in person at the Waniyetu Winter Market at Hocokata Ti:
📅 December 12-14
⏰ 10 AM - 7 PM

Can’t make it? Don’t worry! I’ll make these available online after the market, with international shipping for my supporters worldwide. 🌎

Thank you all for the love and support – I can’t wait for you to see them! ❤️ The leggings are printed and sewn in Canada with eco polyester fabric created in Montreal. The 100% cotton shirts are printed in California. So save a little of your Black Friday shopping until then!

#ProtectYourSpirit #NativeFashion #sustainabledesign

Need music for your Thanksgiving playlist? 🦃 Here'

Need music for your Thanksgiving playlist? 🦃 Here's "Look at us" by John Trudell (1983), animation by me, full version on YT~

#nativeamerican #thanksgiving #johntrudell #dakotanation #nativeamericanheritagemonth

My augmented reality piece "Whirlwind's Guidance"

My augmented reality piece "Whirlwind's Guidance" is now on view at the @jhpublicart center and Russ Garaman Park in Jackson, Wyoming:

Through Myles’ engaging artwork you’ll encounter each plant's spirit and learn its traditional Indigenous name, carrying ancestral knowledge and spiritual reverence. “This living tapestry invites you to understand that we are not separate from nature but an integral part of its sacred balance, guided by the teachings of those who have lived in harmony with Grandmother Earth for generations,” states Myles. “Utilizing augmented reality serves as a powerful metaphor for revealing the concealed Native presence on our homelands. While our histories and stories remain hidden to many, a fresh perspective utilizing modern technology unveils the profound significance of these lands,” Myles added.

This was created as part of the LandSignals project. Also featured is the @grandtetonnps and Pretty Shield Foundation’s Lighted Teepee exhibit.
#augmentedreality #augmentedrealityart #nativeart #jacksonwyoming #grandtetonnationalpark

🎉 My Dakota Spirit Walk augmented reality installa

🎉 My Dakota Spirit Walk augmented reality installation has won the International Award for Public Art for the North America category! I'm beyond honored by this recognition and the chance to highlight the power and stories of Dakota homelands.

Dakota knowledge and culture is embedded in Grandmother Earth—layered in the land, transcending time through space. Through augmented reality, I’ve been able to share how Dakota people see and understand the land with everyone who lives here today. It allows us to teach through oral traditions, preserving the land while sharing stories that are older than "America", older than land deeds.

My AR has already had a profound impact: through free admission for Indigenous people at the Sacred Hoop Walk at the @mn_arb Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, I’ve seen individuals inspired to return land to Dakota people at other sacred sites. Non-Native children are learning Dakota names for places in Minneapolis and Saint Paul with excitement and curiosity; students from all grade levels often tell me how their teachers are sharing this knowledge with them through my creations. These experiences are bridging gaps and creating relationships with the land—seeing Grandmother Earth as a relative, not just a resource.

Growing up, I didn’t see much recognition of Dakota people. That’s why I create public art that uplifts Indigenous voices and fosters a connection with the land—so that we can all become better stewards of this world that sustains us.

The award ceremony, hosted by @instituteforpublicart, took place in Shanghai, and I’m deeply grateful that Indigenous stories from North America are being recognized globally. Huge thanks to my collaborator @huhamaza along with fellow voice actor Kendra Greendeer, as well as Todd Boss and @pixelfarm for believing in my vision and creating the Revelo app, which helps bring this project to life.

Thank you to everyone who supports Indigenous storytelling worldwide. Together, we’re showing the world the original way to live—rooted in respect, reciprocity, and relationship with the land. 🌍✨

Čhaŋtémawašte. My heart feels so much joy as a Dak

Čhaŋtémawašte. My heart feels so much joy as a Dakota person to see the artifacts, books, maps, and postcards I donated to my reservation now on display at the new education center at the Cankdeska Cikana Community College, which celebrated its grand opening today! Generosity is such an important part of being Dakota, and it feels powerful to see these pieces—many over 100 years old when they were created with love by our ancestors—finally return to live among our people after so long in non-Native hands.

As a Sisseton Wahpeton of the Spirit Lake Dakota tribe, everything I create is to my honor oyate, homelands and ancestors. It’s been deeply fulfilling to bring these artifacts back home where they are celebrated and placed in the heart of our nation.

In Dakota, we don’t have a word for 'art.' We have šičúŋ: the spiritual potency and influence that lives on through what we create. It’s my hope that these pieces will inspire future generations on my reservation, Spirit Lake, to embrace who we are as the Mni Wakan Oyate. The more we learn about our culture and activate our šičúŋ, the more our ancestors empower us in our lives.

Last night’s We Are Water "Water Fits All" Fashion

Last night’s We Are Water "Water Fits All" Fashion Show was an absolute dream come true! I'm so grateful to my incredible friends for modeling and bringing my fantasy world to life. Showcasing a vibrant world where the past meets the present through upcycled fashion was such a joy!

Fashion has the power to empower, and as a creator, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing my friends look in the mirror and feel amazing in designs inspired by our traditional clothing. For example, my designs drew inspiration from Chief Waanatan I, my 5x-great-grandfather, and his painted war shirt. I used paint to honor Unci Makha (Grandmother Earth) and the medicines she provides, a reminder of the healing and nourishment our earth offers us.

The fashion industry can be wasteful, relying heavily on water, plants, and labor, so I wanted to take a different path. By upcycling clothing, I aim to reduce waste while honoring our ancestors and their resilience. On my Wakinyan (Thunder Being) jacket, I even included photographs of our ancestors as a tribute to their strength—reminding Dakota people of the powerful lineage that sustains us today.

I owe this amazing experience to the support of my family, friends, and collaborators. Special thanks to my sister @amemyles for all her hard work, @santa_fe_bg for the designer bags collaboration with me, my dear friends for modeling: @tanagidantowin, @bluehummingbirdwomanllc, @courtney.a.cochran, Ariel, and Ramona Kitto Stately, and @sl_burgdorf for the constant inspiration. A huge thanks to @trevinobringsplenty for letting me use his incredible music as the soundtrack & MC Red Wing for hyping everyone up like we were in WWE and DJ @nativeson651 for turning it up!

Finally, pidamayaye to @shakopeedakota for hosting this event and bringing the community together. Wopida to all the designers, models, and staff whose contributions made this unforgettable night possible!

Let’s keep celebrating creativity, community, and the power of fashion to honor the past and shape the future. I'll have fashion for sale at the Waniyetu Winter Market at Hocokata Ti next month! December 12-14! #nativefashion

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Website / artwork © 2024 Marlena Myles

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