Presented By: Gifts of Art
Gifts of Art presents Art & Healing: American Indian Textiles & Beads
by Suzanne L. Cross

Suzanne L. Cross, Ph.D., Associate Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University and member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, is a shawl maker and beadwork artist. She created this body of work to increase awareness and emphasize cardiac health for American Indian women by informing, supporting, and encouraging self-care and the value of changing life ways. Shawls are symbols of womanhood and are of significance to many American Indian tribal cultures. Now-a-day traditional female dancers complete their regalia by carrying the shawl over their left arm which is closest to the heart, and the fringe sways to the heartbeat rhythm of the drum.