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Ernestine Joyce Bell
My name is Ernestine Joyce Bell (Bear Butte Woman). I am 80 years old. Born November 12, 1929, in Sturgis, South Dakota. I grew up in Slim Buttes, South Dakota. I am a Oglala Lakota tribal member from Pine Ridge. I started making star quilts when I was 10 years of age. My parents are Bessie Brings and Ed Red Feather. My father is full blood from Rosebud, and my mom is full blood from Oglala. I am 4/4 Lakota.    
I learned how to make star quilts from my mom and grandma. I make star quilts for ceremonies. I also make quilts for new borns, graduations, give-aways, memorials, and many more.
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Vera Good Lance 
My name is Vera Good Lance. I was born on July 24, 1933. I have lived in Oglala all my life. My father was from Manderson and my mom was born in Oglala. I have 3 brothers and 1 sister. I also have 8 children, 47 grandchildren, and 29 great-grand children. At 17 years of age I started sewing and made baby blankets in a 9-design block style. The quilts were given out as gifts for Naming Ceremonies - a child or grandchild is given a Lakota name - their names are past down from grandparents. My grandfather was Frank Good Lance, a Medicine Man, and my mother's father was Donald Blue Horse Owner, also a Medicine Man. Many of my relatives make star and block quilts, such as my sister Corraine Brave, my sister-in-law Annebelle Brave, and my daughter Valarie Janis.     
I also make Grass Dance outfits for little boys, and fancy, traditional, jingle dresses for little girls. Vera Good Lance |
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Wilma Thin Elk   
Born in 1938 at the Pine Ridge Hospital, Rocky Ford Wakan Community. Wilma Thin Elk is a full blood Lakota with both parents born on the reservation. She has 4 children, 8 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandson. She started sewing at 14 after a Womanhood Ceremony, which is very sacred. At 25, She started sewing star blankets and quilts for her children. The star is symbolic for Christ's birth, and guided the 3 wise men to Bethlehem. This was past on by her relatives (grandma). She enjoys making quilts and also brings in extra money. She makes specialty quilts such as Buffalo, Medicine Wheel, and Bronco Rider which reminds her of when she traveled to the rodeo where her brother was a champion rider. Her family has their own Sun Dance each year. She makes quilts for funeral memorials, graduations, and births. She also makes satin quilts and has agreed to teach others this art in their community. She hand-quilts and machine marks the top. She is raising her 3 grandchildren in her home at Manderson, South Dakota. Wilma Thin Elk |
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Regina BraveShe was born in Oglala to Milton and Sarah (Belt) Brave on January 31, 1941 and attended boarding school at Holy Rosary Mission (now known as Red Cloud) where she learned to cut from patterns at 12 years of age. By age 14 she could sew school uniforms in various sizes. She also learned the arts of crochet, embroidery, and cross stitch. From the 70's to the present she has utilized her knowledge in making ribbonshirts, vests, dance outfits and embroidered her own Native designs in her quilts. In 1970 she taught herself how to make starquilts. When she moved to Denver in 1976 she began making and selling the Broken Star with or without matching pillow shams, wall hangings, shower curtains and drapes. She moved in 1980 and didn't sew starquilts for a very long time.    
Regina has 4 children, 9 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. She lived on and off the reservation for 43 years and returned in June 1999. She said, "My inspiration is my Mother. She hitch-hiked to work for the Foster Grandparent Program in Pine Ridge when she was in her 70's. When she was 80 years old she tried out for and got the role of Maizie Blue Legs in the movie Thunderheart. She had always made star quilts on a Singer treadle sewing machine but beginning in 1960 it was her only source of income. The last starquilt she made was for Val Kilmer in 1992. Mom was born to Frank and (Lizzy Walks Out) Belt on April 15, 1910 and returned to the Spirit World on May 13, 2002." During Regina's year of mourning she began designing and copy-righting her numerous contemporary and traditional original designs in the diamonds of the star quilt. She put the Marine Corps Emblem in diamonds and entered the quilt at the 2006 Veterans Creative Arts local art show in Hot Springs, South Dakota on March 8, 2006 and won First Place. Regina is a U. S. Navy veteran and was also in Wounded Knee 1973. "My dream is to have a star quilt Show for all our Oglala Lakota star quilt makers. It could, possibly, turn into an annual event." Regina Brave |
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Leola One FeatherMy name is Leola One Feather. I was born in 1954 in the city of Pine Ridge on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. I presently have 8 children and 16 grandchildren. I like to make star quilt clothing and Indian design dance outfits. I also enjoy making small bead work accessories such as lighter wraps, key chain holders, and hair ties. I am gifted in many master sewing techniques as Southern style ribbon work and quill work. I can also make beautiful Indian dolls with accented bead work. My experience is varied in different areas such as hide tanning and painting.    
I learned how to sew from my mom, Mary One Feather. At the age of seven I use to play with my Mom's treddle sewing machine and broke a lot of needles. But it was with her patience that kept me interested in sewing. I made my first star quilt at the age of 15. It looked like a candy cane design and I hand stitched the whole quilt by myself. I was proud of this quilt and kept it for my own bed. Now, I like to do star quilts on special request. The star quilt has special meaning for me and is a beautiful reflection of Lakota culture. The star design has been around since the early petroglyph cave drawings. I have also helped compile the Lakota Star Knowledge book (1992, Sinte Gleska University) concerning Lakota stellar theology. I am also a Native American grave protection and repatriation act trainee and study many historical sites with speciality star concellation for protection and preservation of historical spiritual sites, using the star knowledge to protect the star alignment sites. Leola One Feather |
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Germaine Moves Camp  
My name is Germaine Moves Camp. Born on August 18, 1958 in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Born to Ellen Winter Moves Camp, a descendant of Red Cloud, and born to log lineage of Medicine Men on fathers side. I have 5 children: 3 boys, 2 girls, and 5 grandchildren. All of my children live within a 100 mile radius. I learned the art of Star Quilting from my mother Ellen at the age of 18. I helped my mom make 25 quilts for a memorial in 14 days. I made my first full quilt at 20 years old. Star Quilts are made for people during their hard times, or to honor them.   
Germaine Moves Camp |
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L. Pansy Two Bulls Weasel BearMy name is L. Pansy Two Bulls Weasel Bear. Born in 1961, I am an Oglala Lakota Tribal Member from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. My family is the Tatanka Nunpa Tiospaye, I am 47 years old, been married for 27 years to Connie Weasel Bear, a descendant of Sitting Bull. We have 6 beautiful daughters.    
In 2002, I became tired of buying star quilts for our Cultural Honoring and for our daughters graduations, Hunka Ceremonies, etc...so I decided to start making my own. My first star quilt was made for our 3rd daughter Mary's High School graduation. It has since blossomed into a small family business that gets us by financially to pay for our necessities.    I make Ribbon and Ceremonial dresses, skirts for men, Fancy Shawl outfits, and beaded Butterflies. I have hopes that it grows to be a bigger business. To order contact me for more information: L. Pansy Two Bulls - Weasel Bear |
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