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
Got into Santa Fe Indian Market my first time applying. This one means a lot. The level of artists, the history, the prestige behind this market… to be included on my first try is something I don’t take lightly. Coming from Nansemond a
Got into Santa Fe Indian Market my first time applying. This one means a lot. The level of artists, the history, the prestige behind this market… to be included on my first try is something I don’t take lightly. Coming from Nansemond and bringing light to our nation through my weaving. Grateful and ready.#santefeindianmarket #nativeart #swaia
First pack basket Not bad for my first one. I can’t wait to gather and hit the water with it. Loving the natural brown of the wood.
First pack basket Not bad for my first one. I can’t wait to gather and hit the water with it. Loving the natural brown of the wood.
This was my favorite piece I wove. As a Native artist, my role is not just to create, but to advocate for my community and carry our stories forward. With this piece, I reinterpreted John Smith’s 1612 Map of Virginia through a Nansemond lens.
This was my favorite piece I wove. As a Native artist, my role is not just to create, but to advocate for my community and carry our stories forward. With this piece, I reinterpreted John Smith’s 1612 Map of Virginia through a Nansemond lens. Each diamond woven into the design represents places tied to the Nansemond and Chesapeake peoples—locations that existed long before they were ever put onto paper. For the Nansemond: Nandsamund, the primary town and seat of the weroance, often associated with Dumpling Island Mattanock, along the western bank of the river Teracosick, a village along the waterway Mantasough, a smaller settlement further inland Skicoke, near the borderlands between Nansemond and Chesapeake territory For the Chesapeake: Chesepioc, the principal town near the Lynnhaven River, in what is now Virginia Beach Apasus, near the mouth of the bay at Cape Henry Mortons Bay, the waters where the Chesapeake people lived and moved These places are more than points on a map. They are homelands, stories, and connections that continue today. Through weaving, I take a document that once defined us from the outside and reshape it into something that speaks from within.
Dismal Swamp The Great Dismal Swamp is part of the ancestral homeland of the Nansemond and has long been shared with neighboring nations including the Chowanke, Tuscarora, and other Indigenous communities of the region. This weaving is surrounded b
Dismal Swamp The Great Dismal Swamp is part of the ancestral homeland of the Nansemond and has long been shared with neighboring nations including the Chowanke, Tuscarora, and other Indigenous communities of the region. This weaving is surrounded by shades of green and brown representing the forests, marsh grasses, and dark waters of the Great Dismal Swamp. At the center, the pattern represents Lake Drummond, one of only two natural lakes in Virginia, resting quietly in the heart of the swamp. This is a sneak peek of work that will be on view at my upcoming show with the Elizabeth River Project on March 27. Come learn through weaving about the lands and waters the Nansemond call home. #greatdismalswamp #nansemond
Packed and headed to Phoenix for the Heard Indian Market. Bringing a little Southeast to the Southwest. Which basket is your favorite? Come stop by or say hello at booth C-21. #heardindianmarket #nativeart #basketweaving
Packed and headed to Phoenix for the Heard Indian Market. Bringing a little Southeast to the Southwest. Which basket is your favorite? Come stop by or say hello at booth C-21. #heardindianmarket #nativeart #basketweaving
A weekend full of gathering and processing River Cane and White Oak. It was amazing. #rivercane #whiteoak
A weekend full of gathering and processing River Cane and White Oak. It was amazing. #rivercane #whiteoak
Size of a battery. That keeps life and culture going. I may not have gotten a fellowship I wanted, but Native art has long been misunderstood in Western art spaces. Labeled as craft, minimized, and overlooked. Still, my work continues as resistance
Size of a battery. That keeps life and culture going. I may not have gotten a fellowship I wanted, but Native art has long been misunderstood in Western art spaces. Labeled as craft, minimized, and overlooked. Still, my work continues as resistance and living culture. Small basket. Big meaning. #nativeart #basketweaving
#basketweave #nativeartist
#basketweave #nativeartist
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
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
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
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
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
This purse is ready for a two step in the circle. Was hoping to see it in the circle, maybe one day. #nativemade #powwowlife #nativeart
This purse is ready for a two step in the circle. Was hoping to see it in the circle, maybe one day. #nativemade #powwowlife #nativeart
Got into Santa Fe Indian Market my first time applying. This one means a lot. The level of artists, the history, the prestige behind this market… to be included on my first try is something I don’t take lightly. Coming from Nansemond a First pack basket Not bad for my first one. I can’t wait to gather and hit the water with it. Loving the natural brown of the wood. This was my favorite piece I wove. As a Native artist, my role is not just to create, but to advocate for my community and carry our stories forward. With this piece, I reinterpreted John Smith’s 1612 Map of Virginia through a Nansemond lens. Dismal Swamp The Great Dismal Swamp is part of the ancestral homeland of the Nansemond and has long been shared with neighboring nations including the Chowanke, Tuscarora, and other Indigenous communities of the region. This weaving is surrounded b Packed and headed to Phoenix for the Heard Indian Market. Bringing a little Southeast to the Southwest. Which basket is your favorite? Come stop by or say hello at booth C-21. #heardindianmarket #nativeart #basketweaving A weekend full of gathering and processing River Cane and White Oak. It was amazing. #rivercane #whiteoak Size of a battery. That keeps life and culture going. I may not have gotten a fellowship I wanted, but Native art has long been misunderstood in Western art spaces. Labeled as craft, minimized, and overlooked. Still, my work continues as resistance #basketweave #nativeartist If Santa had Native aunties and uncles, his sleigh would be full of baskets instead of toys. Just saying. #nativeartist #indigenousartist #basketweaving #christmasseason #christmasdecorations 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
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
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 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 This purse is ready for a two step in the circle. Was hoping to see it in the circle, maybe one day. #nativemade #powwowlife #nativeart