Anishinaabe artist Sarah Agaton Howes is an Inspired Natives™ Collaborator who is all about thriving - not simply surviving. This is a value that shines through in her art, including these highly unique and contemporary The Fierce Heart earrings.

This contemporary rendering of the strawberry by collaborator Sarah Agaton Howes was developed from a pencil drawing to a finalized product during her recent visit to Louie's Eighth Generation studio in Seattle.

In Ojibwemowin (the Ojibwe language), the strawberry is called odemin or "heart berry". The design was inspired by an inside of a strawberry—revealed when the berry is sliced in half—and the idea that having a fierce heart beating on the inside is a more significant key to happiness than even the most beautiful exterior. The odemin is Sarah's signature motif, and it appears frequently in her handmade regalia and moccasins.

This 2-sided, lightweight mixed media earring is made with painted maple wood over a bright acrylic backdrop. The jump ring and hook have a gunmetal finish.

This product is hand-painted, machine cut, and assembled in our Seattle, Washington studio.

1.75" x 1.75" / 4.445cm x 4.445cm
Hand-painted wood on colored acrylic
Gun metal finish jump rings and hooks

Thank you for supporting Inspired Natives™, not "Native-inspired."

Cultural Context:

Beaded moccasins Ojibwe designs are known for their floral motifs, reflecting the foods and medicines of the community. An example of traditional Ojibwe botanical design is shown on this pair of award-winning moccasins sewn and beaded by Sarah. Sarah used glass beads and porcupine quills to illustrate a strawberry and flower; the shoes are made of brain-tanned deer hide, a wool army blanket, and fabric strips from her daughter’s jingle dress.

Color: