This ornament was designed by two spirit Choctaw artist Kristin Gentry. Gentry’s work explores themes of cultural reconnection through ancestral seed gardening and draws from traditional knowledge and family stories, weaving together heritage, healing, and hope. This ornament features a wreath made of cedar branches, an important medicine and protector in many tribal traditions. Adorning the wreath are representations of the Three Sisters: ancestral corn, beans, and squash, symbolizing the interdependence and sustainability rooted in Indigenous gardening practices. At the center there are morning star details, a celestial symbol honored across many tribal communities for guidance, origin stories, and connection.
KRISTIN GENTRY BIO
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Kristin Gentry is passionate about using her art to create different ways to preserve her traditional Southeastern tribal culture. Kristin is a national award-winning artist. and has exhibited her art in numerous juried, invited, open, and group shows across the Midwestern United States. She works as a professional visual artist in the areas of relief and monotype printmaking, painting, jewelry and photography. She also works as a writer, designer, and curator. She worked as a full-time arts educator in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and now works full-time at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Kristin is an enrolled member and registered artist of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Kristin attained her M.S. degree in Native American Leadership in 2020. She received the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s 40 under 40 award in 2012. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in fine arts from Oklahoma State University in 2009. She was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She lives in Oklahoma City with her daughter, Jewell Shooting Star. Outside of her art career, Kristin is an avid gardener, often growing produce from heirloom seeds from the Cherokee and Choctaw Nations.
Each ornament comes with a card insert.
Dimensions: 2.5" diameter
Keepsake box is 5" x 5"