In the Lakȟóta language, Paškókpa, IháŋblA, WípatȟA roughly translates as to press, to dream, to quill. This book resembles an envelope-style traveling case, often called a parfleche. It is made to hold the lineage of Oceti Sakowin women through porcupine quillwork, a highly respected practice of generational making and gifting. Quillwork, unique to Turtle Island, is a living art form and responsibility that connects us across time and space. By stitching, we remember. To the artist, working with quills is a decolonial practice informed by her upbringing. In honor of this, the book is dedicated to Nunpapika Win, Ptesánwin, and future Unčí’s who uphold this knowledge system.
Bound in a cloth cover pressed with design and quill motifs, the book opens to reveal an accordion page featuring an original design of flat stitch quillwork by the artist. Inside, real porcupine quills are embedded in the handmade paper made from abaca, cotton, and raw flax. Next to the accordion page is a debossed symbol known as kápemni, the spinning vortex of time. Through a process, the quills were gathered near He Sápa (the Black Hills), washed, air dried, flattened and bent before use. Together, the quills, fibers, and letterpress-printed marks form an ongoing system of recording, remembering, and sharing.