Mildred Quaempts (Umatilla), a master in Umatilla dentalium piecework, is renowned for her shell dresses. Quaempts, a 2012 Master Artist with the Oregon Folklife Network Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, began to make shell dresses at age 9 under the guide of her grandmother. Making veils for brides is one way Quaempts carries on the traditions in her Tribe.
Bio
Mildred Quaempts, also known as Istisyawak, is a dentalium piecework artisan and enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla. Native communities in the Pacific Northwest, Great Plains, and Great Basin as well as in western Canada use denatalium (tooth or tusk) shells to adorn dresses, hair pieces, earrings, and hats. Quaempts was born and reared on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. She relates, "I first observed and helped using dentaliums with my grandma, Annie Joe, better known as 'Tquannanmy' when she was applying them on medallions or on dresses. I was 9 years old. I used to travel with her to Indian wedding trades and saw other young girls wearing hairpieces made from dentalium. I love looking at old photos of individuals using dentalium." These days, Quaempts uses real smoked hide or white hide, old beads, cowrie shells, and two-inch dentalium shells to decorate dresses, hair pieces, earrings, and hats. She also enjoys making hairpieces and unique wedding veils for brides. She stays "as traditional as possible when [she makes] the veils. [She doesn't] give the veils to the bride until one day before she marries or the same day. Quaempts is a Umatilla language speaker and has had the opportunity to learn other dialects at Warm Springs and Yakama. Her dentalium work is a critical part of Tribal sacred ceremonies. Quaempts is a 2012 Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program awardee with Oregon Folklife Network.
