Roxanne C. Henry Laducer of Rolette, North Dakota, has been named one of nine recipients of the 2025 Midwest Culture Bearers Award from Arts Midwest. The award honors Midwestern folk artists and cultural practitioners who preserve and pass on traditional art forms. Each honoree receives $5,000 in recognition of their artistry, cultural preservation, and dedication to teaching the next generation.
For Roxanne, a member of the Bear Clan of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, the journey began in 2005 when she was 35 years old and pregnant with her youngest daughter. “My cousin Ronnie Longclaws, to whom I have much gratitude and love for, came from Minnesota and stayed with us,” she recalls. “My children and I learned from him as a family and made [dreamcatchers] all through my pregnancy.”
At the time, Roxanne didn’t know the dreamcatcher originated with her own people, the Ojibwe. “It was our symbol for protection; to me, they are a spiritual symbol of great love,” she says. “The act of creating dreamcatchers is culturally a way of writing and preserving the people.”
Roxanne’s lineage is steeped in leadership and tradition. “I am the daughter of the late Chief Hot Day Man and Hard Rock Woman,” she shares. “On my father's side, we are straight descendants of Chief Red Bear, and on my mother's side, of Chief Little Shell.” A bear claw passed down through generations of women on her mother’s side now belongs to her. “Bears are considered guardians of the Dreamtime, because of how they hibernate. We are also healers. I’ve taken it upon myself to learn of the medicinal uses of plants. I incorporate all of that into my work.”
In 2020, Roxanne moved to Rolette—just 11 miles from the Turtle Mountain Reservation—the same year she lost her mother. “I didn't know a person had so many tears in that first year,” she says. But it was also a year of transformation. “I started using red willow and working with the diamond willow. I made shapes for each of the seven teachings, and not only established myself as an artist, but healed tremendously from the loss of my mother.”
Those seven teachings—love, truth, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, and honesty—are represented by animals in Ojibwe tradition: the eagle, turtle, beaver, wolf, bear, buffalo, and Sabe (Bigfoot). “These are the principles that we try to live our lives by,” Roxanne explains. “Being Anishinabae (the people) is a way of living.”
Her cultural practice extends beyond dreamcatchers. Roxanne participates in sweat lodge ceremonies, sings traditional songs, and gathers sage. “Our culture, our heritage, our ceremonies have kept us Anishinabae through the attempted genocide of our people and therefore are very sacred.”
Teaching is central to her work. “The thing I enjoy most is the unconditional love and healing that is shared when I teach,” she says. “Unconditional love is very powerful.” Roxanne has taught at Dunseith Public School, the Turtle Mountain Heritage Center, and the Arts for Vets Art Gallery in Grand Forks. “I love those workshops and all people involved. I love meeting new people and the sharing that occurs between us all.”
Kimberly Forness Wilson, Executive Director of Arts for Vets, shared her admiration: “We absolutely love having Roxanne come and do our beautiful workshops about gathering from nature to create her beautiful dreamcatchers and also talk about Native culture and share her songs and stories. Lots of folks refer to her at our gallery as Auntie Roxy or Auntie Rocks—and she is amazing. She’s a gentle, beautiful, warm teacher, and she just brings light and love wherever she goes.”
Her connection to nature is also evident in her growing feather collection. “I have found around 10,000 feathers so far,” she says with a smile. “I started googling them, the birds they come from and what they mean and represent. I don’t have them all in memory though—just my favorites. I started dyeing them also.”
Roxanne’s story is a testament to the power of art as healing, heritage, and hope. Her work not only preserves Ojibwe traditions but also strengthens the cultural fabric of North Dakota.
To learn more about Roxanne and the other eight recipients, visit the Arts Midwest 2025 Midwest Culture Bearers Award webpage.
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