Kun Daa Hunx
~Michelle DeAsis~
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My Tlingit name is Kun Daa Hunx. My English name is Michelle DeAsis. I am an Tlingit visual artist, jewelry designer, and educator based in Bellingham, WA.
Through cedar, cloth, and sinew, I explore how memory lives in our hands, our homes, and the places we return to.
Every basket, mat, and woven form holds layers of story—of gathering, preparing, and transforming materials with care. These works are invitations to remember where we come from and how we move forward.
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In my studio, time moves at the pace of the materials. Cedar is harvested, split, and processed by hand.Â
I return to the same gestures again and again—weaving, twining, braiding, stitching—until each piece feels balanced, grounded, and ready to be shared. This process is as important as the final work.
Traditional Tlingit Introduction
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TlingÃt x’éinax Kun Daa Hunx yóo xát duwasáakw.
Dleit Kaa x’éináx Michelle DeAsis yóo xát duwasáakw.
Ch’áak’ naax xát sitee.
Chippewa ka French Gin Jich wáan xát sitee.
Deisheetáan yádi áyá xát.
TlingÃt ka Filipino áyá xát.
Daanaawú dachxán áyá xát.
Yeilnaawú dachxán áyá xát.
Yaanachúx dachxán áyá xát.
Dzántik’i héen’i kwáan áyá xat.
Bellingham-x’ yéi xat yatee.
Gunalchéesh.
Introduction In English
My Tlingit name is Kun Daa Hunx.
My English name is Michelle DeAsis.
I am from the Eagle moiety.
My mother is Chippewa and French Canadian.
My father is Deisheetáan.
I am Tlingit, and Filipino.
My great grandfather is Archie Bell
My great great grandfather is Yeilnaawú (Dick Yetlma).
My great, great, great grandfather is Yaanachúx (he was teikweidÃ).
I am from Juneau (AK).
I currently live in Bellingham.
Thank you.