About the Episode
Wetalu Rodriguez (Nimiipuu) is a beader and seamstress of powwow and traditional regalia. Moreover, Rodriguez is a scholar and has led research about the mental and emotional health of Indigenous people. In this episode, Rodriguez advocates how sewing, beading, and her community work heals her people. Rodriguez is a 2022 Cultural Capital fellow with First Peoples Fund.

Content Warning: This episode discusses academic research on suicide ideation and cultural genocide of Indigenous people.

About the Artist
Wetalu Rodriguez – also known as ‘alíwtalaliktnacan’may, meaning “Winter Sunset” – descends from the Nez Perce Nation. Rodriguez works from her original homelands in Lapwai, Idaho. At 8-years-old, Rodriguez learned the loom beading technique, and her skills evolved into lazy stitch and straight stitch when she was 13-years-old. Rodriguez is a beader and seamstress of powwow and traditional regalia. Learn more about 2022 Cultural Capital fellow Wetalu Rodriguez at www.firstpeoplesfund.org/wetalu-rodriguez