Ktthė piténdagwet odë Neshnabé nengo kenomagéwen ndathmowmenan témget zhi gizhgok. Minė gé yaththegazwik gi ndatsokanmenanêk ėzhi. Nwabdë’gok da zhetthkéyak ė bmadzëyak. Nwabdë’gok gé zhé ėshtthëgéwat gi wésiyêk ė bmadzëwat gé winwa. Ngi gnëmagomen ėwi bwa ngetoyak odë kenomagéwen. Kwansëgé ktthė piténdagwet ėwi mikwéndëmak odë athë kenomëwayak nnithansenanêk, winwa gé wwi bmowdonawa nigan wa në wthi igwan.

Our Neshnabé star knowledge is very important to us as our story is in the sky. Many of our legends are told within the constellations. The constellations also show us what we should be doing during certain times of the year. Along with what certain beings are up to in certain times of the year… We are told to not lose this knowledge. It is really important that we remember this so we can teach our children so they can carry it into the future.

— Kyle Malott, Bmejwen

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A Shell in the Sky | Midewigaan Miigis

Yerkes is honored to welcome all to the Ceremonial Opening of our newest exhibit: A Shell in the Sky | Midewigaan Miigis. Curated by Noelia Cruz in collaboration with an exceptional group of featured artists, this exhibition centers the living culture and wisdom of distinguished elders, artists, cultural teachers, authors, and knowledge keepers.

Join us on June 6, 2026 from 6pm – 9pm for the Ceremonial Opening of the exhibit, including a keynote from esteemed elder Mary Moose, an artist panel led by the curator, and open exploration of the exhibit. Reserve your space for this event on our ticketing website.

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A Note From the Curator Noelia Cruz

A Shell in the Sky | Midewigaan Miigis | Miges is an immersive exhibition of Anishinaabe art, star knowledge, and living culture. 

Centering the collective wisdom of distinguished elders, artists, cultural teachers, authors, and knowledge keepers, this collaborative exhibition invites visitors to learn from and with the stars through stories that have been tended on these lands since time immemorial.

Through the generosity of the Council of the Three Fires — Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodéwadmi — visitors are invited to experience Anishinaabe astronomy across multiple mediums, including basketry, beading, visual and performing arts, NSTEAM, and astrophotography, each reflecting the deep interconnections among land stewardship, water-sky relationships, language, and culture.

Visitors are guided by the teachings of esteemed elder, author, and star knowledge keeper Bwaananaabekwe Mary Moose, and by the lens of astrophotographer Mishiikenh Abraham Sutherland, whose images reveal the astrometry and teachings of Ojibwe constellations in a collection exhibited for the first time at Yerkes.

Danielle Boyer, founder of SKOBOTS, presents an ingenious approach to engaging with art, constellation stories, and language through ethical, sustainable robot creations that reintroduce Anishinaabemowin to new generations.

Poet laureate and author Chris LaTray draws visitors into a closer relationship with each Anishinaabe moon through personal reflections, honoring the philosophical, spiritual, and ecological dimensions of the lunar calendar.

David Martin, alongside elders from Forest County Potawatomi, traces community relationships and ancestral teachings through the 13 moons in a turtle shell lunar calendar, connecting land, water, seasons, and moon phases through a guided exercise that offers students an opportunity to engage with relational mathematics.

Bmejwen Kyle Malott draws on historical ties and language connections to present Bodéwadmi star stories through an action-based digitally designed Star Map exhibited in a large-scale projection, creating an immersive, interactive experience.

Christina Rapp beads the snake constellation into regalia, illuminating how land-star stories have long been written, carried, and transmitted throughout generations in this art form.

Beading artist Iah Q presents a multidisciplinary work combining beadwork, language, illustration, and graphic design in a canvas dedicated to the universal significance of the Great Lakes Loon.

In the Library, books by Leonard Moose and Mary Moose including Maang Loon, Madoodiswan | Sweatlodge, Bagone-Giizhig | The Hole in the Sky, and Inhabiting the Earth deepen visitors’ understanding of the universe and the Loon’s profound connection to the stars.

Emmy Award–winning photographer, and professor Sharon Hoogstraten presents a selection of photographs from her series Dancing with My Tribe, a reflection of astronomy, history, and cultural permanence, expressed in the regalia, gatherings, and stories of contemporary dancers and citizens across Potawatomi Nations.

Dylan Loonsfoot, a member of the distinguished Pigeon Family, presents an intricate strawberry basket that interweaves seven generations of artistry and teaching.

David Martin also presents artworks honoring the profound ancestral practice of indigenous tattooing, rendered on the heart of drum skin.

The sculptural and ceremonial Jingle Dress, created by dancer, fashion designer, and cultural steward Aerius Benton-Banai,  offers a tribute to Mishibizhiw, the Underwater Panther: a spirit of deep historical, and geographical significance to the shores of Kishwauketoe | Lake Geneva, to the skies above, and to the waters of the Great Lakes.

— Curator Noelia Cruz | Humacao – Borikén

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With gratitude to the featured Artists and Knowledge Keepers

Star Knowledge and Cultural Teachings Bwanaanakwe Mary Moose | Nishnawbe-Aski First Nation 

Bwaananaabekwe (Mary Moose) is from Nishnawbe-Aski First Nation and carries the Bwaaninaabe (Mermaid) clan. She is a respected Elder, cultural knowledge keeper, and author of four books. For over 25 years, Bwaananaabekwe has shared Anishinaabe language, teachings, and cultural knowledge throughout the Great Lakes region, working with communities, schools, and organizations. Her work reflects a lifelong commitment to preserving traditional knowledge and strengthening cultural identity through storytelling and education. At the Midewigaan Miigis – Shell in the Sky exhibition, Bwaananaabekwe will share Anishinaabe star knowledge, alongside her published works, offering insight into the deep connections between the stars, language, and traditional teachings.

Astrophotography Mishiikenh Abraham Sutherland | Nishnawbe-Aski First Nation

Mishiikenh Abraham Sutherland is from Nishnawbe-Aski First Nation. Waabak (Polar bear) is his clan. For several years, he has shared Anishinaabe cultural star knowledge throughout the Great Lakes region. As an astrophotographer, he integrates celestial imagery with Anishinaabe teachings to support cultural understanding and education. His work will be showcased publicly for the first time in the Shell in the Sky | Midewigaan Miigis exhibition, featuring original artwork that brings Anishinaabe constellations to life.

Artists and Knowledge Keepers Aerius Benton-Banai Ganawenjigaade | Lac Courte Oreilles • Bmejwen Kyle Malott | Pokagon Band of Potawatomi • Chris LaTray | Little Shell of Chippewa • Christina Rapp | Pokagon Band of Potawatomi • Danielle Boyer | Ojibwe Nation • David Martin | Pokagon Band of Potawatomi • Dylan Loonsfoot – Pigeon Family Baskets | Match-e-be-nash-she-wish • Iah Q | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe • Raven Chacon – Olivia Shortt | Diné – Nipissing First Nation • Sharon Hoogstraten | Citizen Potawatomi

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With deep gratitude for their generous support and guidance: Anishinaabemowin Teg • Anna East • Chickadee Community Services • Eighth Blackbird Exploration Institute • Forest County Potawatomi • Frank Sprague | Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi • Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum • Illinois State Museum • Michaelina Martin | Pokagon Band of Potawatomi •  Mnogishek, Jason Wesaw | Pokagon Band of Potawatomi • Nina Sánchez • Outdoor Learning School • Yerkes Futures Foundation