In this episode, we're excited to welcome Joe Big Mountain (Mohawk/Cree/Comanche) and Sunshine Big Mountain (Oneida Nation) of Ironhorse Quillwork. Joe Big Mountain is known for his one-of-a-kind quillwork, and in 2024, the Big Mountains co-created with Gucci two custom gowns worn by actor Lily Gladstone (Siksikaitsitapi [Blackfeet]/Nimiipuu [Nez Perce]) at the 96th Academy Awards and Vanity Fair Oscars party. The gowns featured porcupine quillwork done exclusively by the Big Mountains and their team of Native artists.

The Big Mountains had a total of three weeks to design in Italy, teach Indigenous artists back home, and have the final gown ready for Lily at the Oscars. Joe and Sunshine made sure to keep the practice of quillwork — one of Indigenous Peoples’ oldest art forms in the northern region of North America — in Indigenous hands while also intertwining its cultural significance and meanings in the design process with Gucci. As Joe and Sunshine shared on this episode, Jason Rembert — the celebrity stylist who worked with Lily Gladstone — was also instrumental in ensuring that boundaries were held and that there was respect for quillwork as an art form throughout the collaboration process. Both gowns are currently at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC for a special installation through March 2026.

Image: Joe and Sunshine Big Mountain with Lily Gladstone, Norwood Photography

Making a Statement at the National Museum of the American Indian

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