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Tables displaying tattoo machines and materials line the first floor of the InterContinental St. Paul Riverfront Hotel, while a stage is set on the second floor’s ballroom.

“Akitho” is the contemporary Lakota word for “tattoo,” says multidisciplinary Lakota artist, Willard Malebear Jr.

The Mni Sota Akitho Festival is happening in downtown St. Paul through Sunday. It’s a unique festival bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous tattoo artists, musicians and cultural educators for a weekend of tattoos, performances and learning.

Malebear is Standing Rock Lakota and the owner of Iktomi Tattoo in south Minneapolis. A few years after being released from prison, he opened the studio. He says he was able to do so after being in a healthy environment. The studio provides space for fellow tattoo artists to hone their craft.

Malebear’s own tattoo portfolio includes images ranging from florals to portraits. He says he'll tattoo anything.

He and other artists from Iktomi came up with the idea of a culturally focused tattoo festival, which was different from other festivals in the area.

“For a Lakota man in sobriety, sometimes there’s just some stuff that doesn’t align with me or, like, maybe my culture,” he said. Malebear emphasizes that the festival was created with sobriety in mind.

Organizers also wanted a space for community members to learn about culture and wellness with activities like playing an Ojibwe style moccasin game or crafting Dakota corn husk dolls.

“We just kind of saw an opportunity to go for it. And it was just like, let’s try it. Let’s see what happens,” Malebear said.

Nipinet Landsem is an Ojibwe tattoo artist and illustrator based in Minneapolis. They shared that sentiment as one of the artists who was there when the idea first began. While they no longer work out of Iktomi, they will be at the festival tattooing and sharing cultural knowledge.

One of Landsem’s tattoo styles is azhaasowinan, or ceremonial and medicinal tattoos.

“It is sort of like being revitalized at the moment. We have a lot of facial tattoos, chin lines or by the eyes,” Landsem said.

Landsem is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota. They’re excited to participate in that cultural tradition and reconnection.

“Contemporary, modern Indigenous people will get the same tattoos that their ancestors would have gotten of their clans, of their helpers, of their name to honor accomplishments,” they said. “Everybody has been doing that forever. Our ancestors did that too. They just didn’t use a machine to do it.”

Stella Standingbear is a Lakota hip-hop and pop artist invited to perform at the festival. She says music brings people together and can be a tool used for healing. She wanted to be a part of that effort at the festival.

She says she has tattoos as well – around 35, in fact.

“I think tattoos are like a memory. If there’s like a milestone or something eventful in my life, I like to get a tattoo to remember that moment. It kind of just shows who you are,” Standingbear said.

One of her tattoos is the flag of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, where she is a member. The flag features a red background with a blue border and nine stylized tipis. Her reasoning for getting the tattoo was so that she could carry her tribe with her wherever she goes.

Landsem shares that as a tattoo artist, they enjoy bringing those types of ideas to life.

“I’m really interested in tapping into what it is that makes my clients want to get a tattoo, and what it is that they're that they find important what they want to communicate,” they said.

Malebear feels that there is room for growth for future Mni Sota Akitho Festivals, and even the possibility of bringing the festival to other regions of the Midwest. He says he wants the festival to be a safe space for all.

“We’re doing our best to curate something that supports all people but is a celebration.”

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Chandra Colvin

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A unique tattoo festival aims to bring together community through cultural learning and celebrations in downtown St. Paul.

Chandra Colvin | MPR News

Willard Malebear Jr. poses for a portrait

‘Tattoos are like a memory’: Rooted in Indigenous culture, the Mni Sota Akitho Festival debuts

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