Steph Littlebird

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Steph Littlebird
Born1984or1985(age 40–41)
Banks, Oregon, U.S.
Citizenship
Alma mater Pacific Northwest College of Art (BFA)
Website www.stephlittlebird.com

Steph Littlebird is a Native American multimedia artist, illustrator, and exhibit curator who is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. [1] [2] [3] She is known for her curation of the exhibit "This is Kalapuyan Land". [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Littlebird was born in 1984 or 1985 [5] and grew up in Banks, Oregon. [4] She is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde. [6]

She graduated from Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2015 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking. [7]

Graphic design and illustration

Littlebird re-designed the Yahoo logo for 2022 Native American Heritage Month using Native American-inspired patterns. [8] [9] The final "O" was used as Yahoo's avatar on its social media platforms for the month of November. [9]

My Powerful Hair was published in March 2023 through Abrams Books for Young Readers. [2] The children's book was written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Littlebird. [10]

Littlebird created a portrait of Shimkhin displayed as part of the exhibit My Father's Father's Sister: Our Ancestor Shimkhin, which opened at Chachalu Tribal Museum and Cultural Center in 2023. [6]

Littlebird has artwork displayed in the exterior window niches of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art as well as other locations around the University of Oregon. [11]

Fierce Aunties, a children's book written by Laurel Goodluck and illustrated by Littlebird, was published in April 2025. [12] The Summer of the Bones Horses was also published April 2025, through Abrams Books for Young Readers. It is a chapter book written by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve and illustrated by Littlebird. [13]

Curatorial career

Littlebird first curated This Is Kalapuyan Land at the Five Oaks Museum (formerly Washington County Museum) in 2019. The exhibit incorporated materials from a 2008 Five Oaks Museum exhibit titled This Kalapuya Land, which were then visibly annotated and edited by LIttlebird with help from Grand Ronde historian David G. Lewis. [14] [15] These panels were displayed alongside works by contemporary Indigenous artists. [16] A modified version of the exhibit opened at the Pittock Mansion in 2023. [15]

Littlebird curated the exhibition Ancestors, hosted by the Portland Parks & Recreation at the Multnomah Arts Center in 2024. [17]

Littlebird curated the Salem Art Association Exhibition Indigenous Northwest, on view at the Bush Barn Art Center from September 6 to October 27, 2024. [1]

Awards and fellowships

References

  1. 1 2 Montesano, Nicole. "Exhibit puts NW Indigenous art in the spotlight". Smoke Signals. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Dankowski |, Terra. "Reclamation and Visibility". American Libraries Magazine. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  3. ↑ Álvarez, Brenda. "Teaching Truth, Building Power, and Uniting to Lead Change! | NEA". www.nea.org. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Reynolds, Evan (May 30, 2022). ""This IS Kalapuyan Land" emphasizes Indigenous visibility". Daily Emerald . Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Steph Littlebird on new book, exhibit: 'I want children to know this history'". The Oregonian. March 22, 2023. pp. A18. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Ligori, Crystal (July 11, 2023). "A New Exhibit Explores Indigiqueer History in the Pacific Northwest". Underscore Native News. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  7. ↑ Lenhoff, Linda (April 26, 2023). "Steph Littlebird BFA'15 strives to change lives with her art". news.willamette.edu. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Re-imagining the Yahoo logo for Native American Heritage Month". Yahoo! News. November 1, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  9. 1 2 Koch, Kamiah (November 18, 2022). "Wahoo Yahoo!". Underscore Native News. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  10. ↑ Blair, Elizabeth (March 22, 2023). "'Like a living scrapbook': 'My Powerful Hair' is a celebration of Native culture". NPR. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  11. ↑ Krell, Ryan (October 14, 2024). "Have You Acknowledged This Land?". Daily Emerald. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  12. ↑ Cruz, Isaac (April 15, 2025). "Local Native American author releases latest children's book". KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Archived from the original on April 16, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Abrams Books" . Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  14. ↑ Noorbaksh, Sonia (October 31, 2024). "Meet Steph Littlebird: Indigenous Rights Activist, Curator, and Revolutionary Artist – Latinitas Magazine" . Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  15. 1 2 Henshaw, Melanie (March 29, 2023). "Behind the exhibit: 'This IS Kalapuyan Land'". www.streetroots.org. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  16. ↑ Pavic, Laurel Reed. "Whose land is it, anyway? | Oregon ArtsWatch". Oregon ArtsWatch. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  17. ↑ Redden, Jim. "Portland Parks & Recreation levy campaign launches amid funding challenges • Oregon ArtsWatch". Oregon ArtsWatch • Arts & Culture News. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  18. 1 2 3 "Steph Littlebird • Oregon ArtsWatch". Oregon Artswatch | Arts & Culture News. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Grand Ronde artists receive grants from Oregon Community Foundation". Smoke Signals. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
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