Fancy Style
Dennis M. Williams (White Earth Nation-Pillager Band of Ojibwe) is an artist that works in several mediums that involve the modern-day powwow. Dennis does grass dancing, chicken dancing, oratory stories, beading, and regalia making. He founded a dance troupe, “Naamijig” (The Ones Who Dance). He is a 2020 First Peoples Fund (FPF) Artist in Business Leadership fellow, residing in Little Cormorant near Audubon, Minnesota.
Dennis handed over the shoebox for his auntie, Ivy Ailport (White Earth Nation-Pillager Band of Ojibwe), to peer inside and see his work, a pair of fully beaded moccasins. She gasped in pleasure and said, “Oh, nephew, you have a fancy style. I love your fancy style. Don’t ever change it.”
Since that day, Dennis has kept his style of beadwork in regalia-making for others in the powwow world, but foremost, his own family. His dance troupe, Naamijig, is comprised of primarily his family. Dennis beads most of their regalia while his wife, Dana Goodwin, sews the pieces.
From the beginning, I wanted the dance troupe to help educate people about our beautiful culture through song and dance.”
“We were going to contest powwows in the mid-2000s when I was asked to do a dance exhibition for the White Earth Early Childhood program,” Dennis says. “My family and I agreed to perform for them, and that was the start of ‘Naamijig.’ From the beginning, I wanted the dance troupe to help educate people about our beautiful culture through song and dance.”
Dennis is pursuing a degree in Art Education at Minnesota State University Moorhead. That is on hold until the COVID-19 crisis has passed, but he isn’t slowing down. People want Dennis to make regalia for them, and he hopes to expand his bead working into a career, along with other art mediums.
“I like to mix traditional and contemporary materials to create my work,” he says. “This can be anything from leather, velvet, ribbon, fabric, fur, bone, cut beads, rhinestones, mirrors, paint, dye, metal, laser etching, and computer design.”
His latest work was for his daughter’s wedding. Dennis made her a pair of pucker-toe moccasins with floral design, and a matching set of earrings, barrette, and a fully beaded bowtie for the groom, made in colors to match their wedding.
When Dennis’s auntie passed, he and his wife adopted his auntie’s daughter into the family and are also caring for his sister’s five girls. With Dennis and Dana’s twins at home, there are ten in their household. Dennis’s art career is continuing with help from his FPF fellowship and the Gizhiigin Arts Incubator, an FPF Indigenous Arts Ecology grantee. Gizhiigin supports his work in multiple ways, including professional photography of his pieces and connecting him with international press. The dance troupe and Dennis’ fancy-style art are becoming a recognized brand.
“I will never forget my auntie’s traditional teachings she gave me and her approval to also let me be contemporary with my art.”
