Elk Woman
SCULPTURE

Kathy Witman, Elk Woman, comes from the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara tribes of North Dakota. Her father is of these tribes and her mother Norwegian. She was born August 12, 1952 in Bismark, North Dakota. She was raised on the Fort Berthhold reservation, where she is an enrolled member.

Elk Woman's life was transformed into a positive direction when she first experienced the Sundance, in 1977. There, she was named Elk Woman. She strives to spread to others the positiveness and contentment she receives from her spiritual path. "I believe that all things of the Sacred Mother Earth are special and holy. I want people to see and feel the pride, the unity, the happiness, and the spiritual strength that is so close to us. There is serenity in having a strong relationship with the Great Spirit and all his Sacred Beings."

In 1983, Elk Woman switched from painting to sculpturing stone. By the summer of 1987, she had won several coveted awards for her art.

The mother of five, Elk Woman credits her children for much of her inspiration. "They are love and happiness. I also have a special feeling for each stone I work on. To me, the stone is alive, and is something sacred from the Mother Earth, which has healing effects."