Dr. Richard Clark Eckert is an enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. Doctor Eckert’s portfolio of identities also includes being part of communities of Sign Language Peoples.
Dr. Eckert received his master’s (1997) and doctorate (2005) degrees from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Dr. Eckert’s areas of specialization include: Race & Ethnicity, Culture, Deaf Studies, and Native Americom Indian Studies. His dissertation topic focused on whether Sign Language communities warrant the analogy of Sign Language communities having ethnic like identities and cultures.
Richard learned to carve pipestone more than 35 years ago on the Bad River Ojibwe reservation in northern Wisconsin. In more recent years he has emphasized making soapstone and alabaster sculptures. His mentor instructed him to use anything that is sharp when carving pipestone.
An experiential understanding of Ojibwe and Deaf identities and cultures facilitates the vision of his creative projects. In additional to carving soapstone, spends time making drums, cannonball goard rattles, singing Ojibwe songs, working on a humble garden, and being an author. Richard has published both in Native American Indian Studies and Deaf Studies. He is currently finishing up on his book, “FLYING HANDS: Sign Language Peoples in the Metamodern Era” which will be available in late-August 2024. It is from that title that he decided to change the name of his studio.
