ACCOLADES FOR RECONCILIATION WORK & ARTISTRY

Adrienne Benjamin holding a photo of her wenh’iban Amikogaabaw (Larry Smallwood) gifted to her by Ivy Vainio.

By Aabawaagiizhigookwe, Toya Stewart Downey

Adrienne Benjamin Story Part 2

As the seasons changed from winter to spring, the snow melted, temperatures warmed, the sun is brighter, lasting longer and is allowing plants, flowers, and trees to continue to bloom.

It’s almost like the same thing is happening for Band Member Adrienne Benjamin, who is garnering more attention, more accolades and more recognition as an art maker who is also steeped in reconciliation work. What’s rather remarkable is that Benjamin herself intentionally seeks out none of this.

There was a time when none of this seemed likely to Benjamin, even though others, notably her late mentor Larry “Amik” Smallwood, undoubtedly believed and perhaps knew that her future was indeed a bright one.

None of this seemed plausible when Benjamin faced a severe health crisis in 2009, developing an acute case of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) after receiving a flu shot while pregnant with her second child. She became temporarily paraplegic, was nearly put on a breathing machine, and spent a month in rehab relearning how to walk and talk. At the time, she was 27 years old.

Before Benjamin experienced her health crisis, she worked with Amik, whom she called her “best friend, wenh’, and a father figure to me.” He taught her so much when she worked at the Immersion Grounds with him. She continued, “I was out there ricing; I traveled with him to naming, funerals, and other ceremonies and talks that he gave; I also started going to Big Drum with him, and it honestly healed me. Little did I know that everything that he was guiding me toward was the things that were given to us as Anishinaabeg to give us a good life, but he knew.”

Shortly after her recovery, she was nominated for a program offered through the Bush Foundation called the Native Nations Rebuilders Program, a two-year leadership training initiative designed to strengthen Native leadership and equip Indigenous changemakers with tools and frameworks to rebuild their nations.

She then began working with her friends and co-workers, Byron Ninham and Chris Nayquonabe, who both worked with her at the Band youth program at the time. The trio, with no funding or external resources, brought youth together on Sundays, utilizing their access to tribal youth through their relationships with Band programs and Onamia and Isle Public Schools.

“We did what we could with what we had,” she said, noting that their work was built around four pillars including: leadership skills, tribal history and treaties, language acquisition, and furthering education.

When a language grant for $250,000 became available, Benjamin and Ninham applied for it and were awarded it on behalf of the Band’s education department. They outlined their two-year plan, which incorporated the four pillars, and the grant helped them fund the program.

“The seeds we planted continue to grow,” said Benjamin, noting that one of the first students was the first college graduate in her family, and another is teaching Ojibwemowin now in Onamia Public Schools.

During the next few years, Benjamin pursued her passion and sought additional funding that would result in another project called “Mezinichigejig” that aimed at exposing students to various art forms such as poetry, painting, playwriting, and videography.

“We wanted to give kids high-end arts experiences like going to the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis to see how the arts can become something that they can achieve,” said Benjamin.

Then the world came to a halt due to the global pandemic, and the programming was paused. She was in an interesting spot, like everyone else, waiting and wondering what was next. In response to the high demand for masks and an increasing shortage of them, Benjamin, her mom, and daughter started sewing them. She also started making more jingle dresses during this time.

“My life was always leading me to the arts,” so when the pandemic happened, I wondered if I could make art my thing,” said Benjamin. “Amik’iban taught me that the Manidoog look extremely lovingly at people who give of their time and of themselves to do the spiritual and artistic work needed by our communities and would always tell me to keep doing it.”

Aside from sewing masks, Adrienne did contract work with Minneapolis community Elder Pamela Standing at the Minnesota Indigenous Business Alliance. Through her relationship with Pamela, she connected with the leaders at Minnetonka (Moccasin) who were looking for someone to partner with them on reparations work. She listened to the leaders, Jory and David Miller, at the family-owned company and through conversations with trusted mentors; she decided she would work with them.

“The first thing we talked about was doing a launch of my beaded hats, but I knew that it didn’t feel right. I knew how the community viewed the company and the hurt that had been felt over the years, and before any collaboration, they needed to apologize and acknowledge their past,” said Benjamin.

The collaboration happened in 2020, and she worked with the company leaders on developing a long-term plan. She was also featured in local, national, and international media outlets to tell the story of reconciliation.

“The difference I saw with Jory and David is that they have permanently installed this work as a lifelong commitment to their company. It’s not a one-time thing and that’s it. It’s forever.”

Fast forward to today, and the company is still doing the work it promised, including working with Lucy Skjefte from Red Lake, who redesigned Minnetonka’s egregious Thunderbird design and debuted it at New York fashion week in 2024. A few months ago, local community member Chris Nayquonabe, a Navajo artist, debuted a bag and shoe collection with Minnetonka. Artists are receiving design fees, lifetime product royalties, and are telling their stories to a wide audience. Part of the work also centers on giving back. Each artist selects an organization for a percentage of the sale of their product also goes towards.

In March, Benjamin was named as one of the “Curious 100” by the Eames Institute, a nonprofit that recognizes “courageous leaders and creative minds across the United States who are harnessing the transformative power of curiosity to solve today’s most pressing problems — whether it’s combating climate change, advancing racial justice, addressing the housing crisis, or tackling food insecurity.”

For Benjamin, who lives in Isle with her daughters, her list of sewing projects is still long — whether it’s continuing to sew more jingle dresses, ceremonial blankets, or ribbon skirts. As part of her Taproot Fellowship, she’s beginning work on a bilingual children’s book with fellow Band member Baabiitaw Boyd. She was awarded start-up costs for the project through her fellowship and plans more extensive fundraising to cover the production costs of the book. Without giving away too much, the book will be in honor and memory of her wenh’iban Amikogaaw (Larry Smallwood).

She’s got more ideas and projects in the works and is always looking for ways to uplift the community and culture through her work. In closing, Adrienne said, “I see myself simply. I’m using the gifts that were given to me to do what I am supposed to do as an Anishinaabe; and that’s working to make the lives of our community better.”

Adrienne Benjamin poses with Darcie Big Bear, Kim Big Bear, and Wendy Merrill in the Mille Lacs four color jingle dresses