Katelynn Pipestem

   Katelynn Pipestem is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and is a descendent of the Zia Pueblo, Osage, & Otoe-Missouria Tribes. She is a self-taught hidesmith and jeweler. Her Cheyenne name means "Pretty Feathers" and founded Pretty Feathers Artistry to honor her grandmother, Dee Howlingwater, and all of the Cheyenne women who carried this name.

   Pipestem's father, Francis “Rock” Pipestem (Osage, Otoe-Missouria), is an accomplished drum maker and taught her how to take care of & work with hides.

   She also gains inspiration from her maternal grandmother, Leonore Toribio (Zia-Pueblo) - an accomplished contemporary pottery maker for over 50 years.

   Pipestem enjoys combining her tribal knowledge from all her nations and reflecting it into her artwork. As a Southern Cheyenne, she upholds parfleche in high regard as this was a material used by her people for centuries. 

   Pipestem wanted to incorporate her grandmother's Zia Pueblo pottery geometric designs onto her parfleche bookmark art pieces for Hyphen Reads. By combining these two tribal elements (Cheyenne & Zia Pueblo), the artwork exhibits the various worlds that Pipestem lives in and that many other Indigenous folks can relate to when descending from more than one tribe. 

   You can see her artwork on her various social media pages & Etsy shop: 
   Instagram page: Instagram.com/PrettyFeathersArtistry
   Facebook Page: Facebook.com/PrettyFeathersArtistry
   Etsy shop: etsy.com/shop/PrettyFeathersArt