A man smiling and holding a large woven basket with orange and white strips, inside a thatched hut.

Wingapo!!

Sa Kiir WinKaan

(are you good?)
Basket of freshly harvested salt marsh oysters on a weathered wooden surface with a marsh and blue sky in the background.

CaMaa WinKaaPo (welcome friend) to my Artist’s Corner — a place to connect, learn, and follow along with my journey in weaving, culture, and community.

Artist's cv
FAQ
Newest piece completed. Walnut and natural. 6 × 4 in. Made with 100% natural, hand-prepared materials.
Newest piece completed. Walnut and natural. 6 × 4 in. Made with 100% natural, hand-prepared materials.
To all my relatives and friends, happy holidays! Thank you for the love and support throughout 2025 , truly the best gift I could have asked for.
To all my relatives and friends, happy holidays! Thank you for the love and support throughout 2025 , truly the best gift I could have asked for.
If Santa had Native aunties and uncles, his sleigh would be full of baskets instead of toys. Just saying. #nativeartist #indigenousartist #basketweaving #christmasseason #christmasdecorations
If Santa had Native aunties and uncles, his sleigh would be full of baskets instead of toys. Just saying. #nativeartist #indigenousartist #basketweaving #christmasseason #christmasdecorations
It’s beginning to feel like Christmas… the Native way.
It’s beginning to feel like Christmas… the Native way.
Baby turtles out here looking cute and minding their business. 🐢💚
Baby turtles out here looking cute and minding their business. 🐢💚
Some cuffs I’ll have tomorrow at PRS in Richmond, VA. Each one has wabi sabi, perfect in their own way.
Some cuffs I’ll have tomorrow at PRS in Richmond, VA. Each one has wabi sabi, perfect in their own way.
Fun day at Virginia Tech today. Huge thanks to @VT_Natives for inviting me to teach a basket weaving class. It was an amazing experience sharing knowledge, stories, and creativity with the group. I truly enjoy serving the Virginia Native community an
Fun day at Virginia Tech today. Huge thanks to @VT_Natives for inviting me to teach a basket weaving class. It was an amazing experience sharing knowledge, stories, and creativity with the group. I truly enjoy serving the Virginia Native community and youth, and I’m grateful for the chance to stay connected and help keep our traditions alive. #nativeculture #nativeyouth
Hand-split white oak basket. Could it get any cuter? 🥰 #nativemade #nativeartist
Hand-split white oak basket. Could it get any cuter? 🥰 #nativemade #nativeartist
I’m honored to share that I’ve been accepted into the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market! To represent the Nansemond Indian Nation and showcase my basketry at one of the nation’s top Native art markets is truly a dream come
I’m honored to share that I’ve been accepted into the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market! To represent the Nansemond Indian Nation and showcase my basketry at one of the nation’s top Native art markets is truly a dream come true. #heardmuseum #heardindianmarket #nativeart #nansemondindiannation#heardifm #americanindian #shopnative
Every time I work with this blackneedle rush, it shows me something new. Hoping one day I can pass on what it’s been teaching me. #creativeprocess #indigenousartist #folkcreative
Today we honor the resilience and survival of Indigenous peoples across this land. Since contact with Europeans, our ancestors have faced loss of life, land, and culture — yet we are still here. As an Indigenous person, I stand as living proof
Today we honor the resilience and survival of Indigenous peoples across this land. Since contact with Europeans, our ancestors have faced loss of life, land, and culture — yet we are still here. As an Indigenous person, I stand as living proof of their strength and resistance. My very presence exists because my ancestors fought against racial mislabeling, displacement, and erasure. To celebrate Christopher Columbus is to celebrate a myth — one built to make Italian Americans part of the White American narrative. Columbus never set foot on what we now call the United States, and he did not “discover” already inhabited lands. Today, we choose to celebrate truth, survival, and the ongoing story of Indigenous people who continue to shape and protect this land. ✊🏽🌎 These pictures span 7 generations.
W( r)affle: Black Walnut & Natural Fancy Ash Basket Enter for a chance to win this handwoven basket crafted from black walnut and natural fancy ash. Measuring 4” tall x 7” wide, it’s the perfect balance of beauty and tradition.
W( r)affle: Black Walnut & Natural Fancy Ash Basket Enter for a chance to win this handwoven basket crafted from black walnut and natural fancy ash. Measuring 4” tall x 7” wide, it’s the perfect balance of beauty and tradition. 🎟 Entries: $10 per spot 🛒 How to enter: Head to my store and purchase the number of entries you would like. ⏰ Raffle ends: Monday, October 13 at 7 PM EST URL: https://tinyurl.com/33k2n7z5 (Direct web url in bio)
Recreating a 1919 bulrush mat from the Mattaponi Reservation. The original piece, documented by early anthropologists, reflects the weaving traditions of Virginia’s Algonquian tribes. As a Nansemond artist, I wanted to bring this pattern back
Recreating a 1919 bulrush mat from the Mattaponi Reservation. The original piece, documented by early anthropologists, reflects the weaving traditions of Virginia’s Algonquian tribes. As a Nansemond artist, I wanted to bring this pattern back to life using rush gathered from the Elizabeth River — a river within my Nation’s territory. This is the result. A small piece of history reimagined #indigenous #culturalrevival #nativecreative
Watch me prep my weaving materials — the ones I’ll use to hand weave a basket. This past weekend I had to deal with a Native vendor who tried to gaslight me. She was selling $400 baskets, claiming she picked sweetgrass on tribal grounds and was taught by the tribe. As a weaver, I knew instantly they were store-bought. When I corrected her, the excuses poured out. This kind of lying isn’t harmless. It causes real problems for us as Native artists — it devalues our work and continues false stories about Native people. Our art is memory, culture, and survival. If you see someone selling mass-produced goods as handmade, correct them. Protect the culture, protect the truth. #protecttheculture #respectnativeartists #nativemade #indigenousartist
Out on the river harvesting rush. Felt amazing knowing I was on the same waterways my ancestors moved through. But the rush tells its own story — development has stunted the size of the plants, and invasive phragmites are choking out where it o
Out on the river harvesting rush. Felt amazing knowing I was on the same waterways my ancestors moved through. But the rush tells its own story — development has stunted the size of the plants, and invasive phragmites are choking out where it once grew strong. KENAH @elizabethriverproject for the chance to harvest and tour !!! #indigenousresilience #indigenousvoices #nativeartists #nativecultures #nansemondnation
No more lost cards, just good looks and good vibes. #fiberart #indigenousartist #nativemade #nansemondindiannation
No more lost cards, just good looks and good vibes. #fiberart #indigenousartist #nativemade #nansemondindiannation
✨ My Website is Live! ✨ 🌐 www.desmondellsworthstudio.com (Also in my bio) Took this past week off from weaving to finally get this done — something so many of y’all have been asking me for. Now you can see my baskets all in one place, l
✨ My Website is Live! ✨ 🌐 www.desmondellsworthstudio.com (Also in my bio) Took this past week off from weaving to finally get this done — something so many of y’all have been asking me for. Now you can see my baskets all in one place, learn more about my story, and follow along as I get ready to apply for fellowships. Please check it out, share it around, and let me know what you think. I’m always open to feedback.
Had an amazing time at the Kennanee Native Art Festival 🌿 Happy to be out here as an artist, representing the Nansemond, and standing alongside other Virginia Native artists. Kenah @va_native_arts_alliance for organizing this event. #indigenousartis
Had an amazing time at the Kennanee Native Art Festival 🌿 Happy to be out here as an artist, representing the Nansemond, and standing alongside other Virginia Native artists. Kenah @va_native_arts_alliance for organizing this event. #indigenousartist #supportnativeartists #nativeart #nansemond #nativetiktok #representationmatters
Newest piece completed. Walnut and natural. 6 × 4 in. Made with 100% natural, hand-prepared materials. To all my relatives and friends, happy holidays! Thank you for the love and support throughout 2025 , truly the best gift I could have asked for. If Santa had Native aunties and uncles, his sleigh would be full of baskets instead of toys. Just saying. #nativeartist #indigenousartist #basketweaving #christmasseason #christmasdecorations It’s beginning to feel like Christmas… the Native way. Baby turtles out here looking cute and minding their business. 🐢💚 Some cuffs I’ll have tomorrow at PRS in Richmond, VA. Each one has wabi sabi, perfect in their own way. Fun day at Virginia Tech today. Huge thanks to @VT_Natives for inviting me to teach a basket weaving class. It was an amazing experience sharing knowledge, stories, and creativity with the group. I truly enjoy serving the Virginia Native community an Hand-split white oak basket. Could it get any cuter? 🥰 #nativemade #nativeartist I’m honored to share that I’ve been accepted into the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market! To represent the Nansemond Indian Nation and showcase my basketry at one of the nation’s top Native art markets is truly a dream come
Every time I work with this blackneedle rush, it shows me something new. Hoping one day I can pass on what it’s been teaching me. #creativeprocess #indigenousartist #folkcreative
Today we honor the resilience and survival of Indigenous peoples across this land. Since contact with Europeans, our ancestors have faced loss of life, land, and culture — yet we are still here. As an Indigenous person, I stand as living proof W( r)affle: Black Walnut & Natural Fancy Ash Basket Enter for a chance to win this handwoven basket crafted from black walnut and natural fancy ash. Measuring 4” tall x 7” wide, it’s the perfect balance of beauty and tradition. Recreating a 1919 bulrush mat from the Mattaponi Reservation. The original piece, documented by early anthropologists, reflects the weaving traditions of Virginia’s Algonquian tribes. As a Nansemond artist, I wanted to bring this pattern back
Watch me prep my weaving materials — the ones I’ll use to hand weave a basket. This past weekend I had to deal with a Native vendor who tried to gaslight me. She was selling $400 baskets, claiming she picked sweetgrass on tribal grounds
Out on the river harvesting rush. Felt amazing knowing I was on the same waterways my ancestors moved through. But the rush tells its own story — development has stunted the size of the plants, and invasive phragmites are choking out where it o No more lost cards, just good looks and good vibes. #fiberart #indigenousartist #nativemade #nansemondindiannation ✨ My Website is Live! ✨ 🌐 www.desmondellsworthstudio.com (Also in my bio) Took this past week off from weaving to finally get this done — something so many of y’all have been asking me for. Now you can see my baskets all in one place, l Had an amazing time at the Kennanee Native Art Festival 🌿 Happy to be out here as an artist, representing the Nansemond, and standing alongside other Virginia Native artists. Kenah @va_native_arts_alliance for organizing this event. #indigenousartis