Real Dreamcatcher (2017) 36 x 45 x 2 inches | EEG cables, photosensitive animatronic chirping birds, hula hoop

This interactive sculpture weaves together the aesthetics of Ojibwe Dreamcatchers with the functional material culture of Western medicine. Electroencephalogram (EEG) cables—used to measure electrical activity in the brain—form the intricate, web-like pattern of a traditional Dreamcatcher, historically created as protective charms for infants and children.

Real Dreamcatcher collides Indigenous cultural symbolism with biomedical technology to explore the dynamics of appropriation and the commodification of traditional knowledge. In place of feathers and beads, plastic wire caps and light-sensitive animatronic birds hang from the hoop, chirping briefly in response to a viewer’s movement. The work meditates on how dominant Western systems often ignore, suppress, or dismiss traditional practices—until they are seen as profitable, at which point they are “rediscovered,” repackaged, and sold, usually without acknowledgment or restitution to their source communities.

Despite the achievements of modern science and medicine, wellness often feels unpredictable and unexplainable. When faced with illness, people may turn to treatments once dismissed, out of desperation and renewed belief. This piece suggests that rather than co-opting marginalized traditions in moments of need, we might be better served by protecting and respecting them while they are still vibrant—before they are lost to time or diluted beyond recognition.

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