Singing Bird: Native American Women in Illinois History

Dressed in her native regalia, award-winning Ojibwa author Kim Sigafus will share the history of Native American women in Illinois and invite participants to engage through music and artifacts.

Kim Sigafus is an award-winning Ojibwa author who writes Native American fiction, non-fiction, children’s and young adult books. Kim’s family is from the White Earth Reservation, located in the northwest corner of Minnesota. She sings and drums, as well as crafts dream catchers and Talking Feathers with her stories and knowledge.

In this program, Kim's primary focus will be women such as Singing Bird (Blackhawk’s wife) and Hononegah. Kim will bring the audience into these women’s day-to-day lives, including courting, marriage, and child-rearing. Native women were considered "The Hidden Half", and Kim will talk about women's role in their husbands’ lives and the family unit, and how those lives affected the history of Illinois.

Kim will also bring items that Native American women would have used in their daily lives. Program participants will be invited to pick up and view the items, learn native language and music, and get the chance to play the drum in this interactive experience.

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