Cree artist connects with heritage through tattooing
Indigenous tattoo artist Poppy Del uses her art to build connections with culture and heritage at her studio in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on March 14, 2025. (PHOTO BY JO CLARK)
The walls of Poppy Del’s small tattoo studio are painted a deep, earthy green. On one wall, an oversized tracery of painted circles, reminiscent of stylized beaded flowers, brightens the space with pinks, purples, blues, and yellows.
The mural mirrors Del’s unique art style, directly inspired by her reconnection with her Indigenous heritage.
Like her father, history-making boxing champion Danny Stonewalker, Del is a member of Fort McMurray 468 First Nation. “Being Cree, I danced a little when I was young, but I didn’t have a ton of culture or teachings around me growing up,” she said. “As I got older, I wanted to explore that more.”
For Del, tattooing is more than an art form; it’s a cultural exchange where both artist and client engage in a shared experience of reclaiming traditions.
“I get so many teachings just through my connection with my clients,” she said. “They connect me with other cultural things that I might not have had the opportunity to have before.”
While tattooing is often a deeply personal experience, Del said it can also feel like ceremony—a transformative act that involves both artist and client.
“A lot of clients tell me when I tattoo them that it is like ceremony because you have to go through the experience of getting tattooed to come up with something that is very meaningful,” she said. “I always love when they say that.”
What began as a passion for drawing evolved into a full-time career. Del left hair school in Vancouver before graduating to take advantage of a tattoo apprenticeship in Edmonton. Now an established tattoo artist, she travels across the country for conventions and guest spots.
Her work is infused with the vivid colours and intricate patterns reminiscent of Indigenous beadwork, a visual reflection of her growing connection to her Indigenous roots. She also finds meaning in the conversations she shares with clients, many of whom are on their own journeys of cultural reconnection.
Del points to the death of her father in 2018 as a turning point in her artistic style. As she sought out more connection to her culture, the significance of her heritage began to inform her work.
Remembering her father entering the boxing ring in full Cree regalia, she began to explore traditional art forms herself. “That’s when I started going to beading groups or sewing groups and things like that,” she said. “A lot of my culture has really come into play as an adult.”
Inspired by the intricate beadwork adorning family heirloom regalia, Del has found a way to translate these traditional designs into custom tattoos. Each piece she creates becomes a meaningful reflection of cultural pride and connection.
By reinterpreting the vibrant patterns and symbolic motifs, she offers her clients a permanent reminder of their own heritage. Though she has not yet incorporated traditional Indigenous tattooing methods like skin stitching or hand poke into her practice, she remains curious. “I would love to try it. It’s a different method.”
Beyond her artistic practice, Del is passionate about supporting aspiring Indigenous artists. She regularly offers mentorship and critiques, encouraging others to pursue tattooing without fear of gatekeeping. “I always tell people, if they want a critique, I’m happy to look at their art books and give them advice.”
Both in her private studio and in her travels, Del shares her cultural journey while empowering others to explore their own. Her future ambitions include expanding her creative practice through mural painting. “I would love to do a piece on a wall somewhere, something like this mural in my studio but larger,” she said. “Creating art that the whole community can see would be amazing.”
Through her work, Poppy Del is not just building a successful tattooing career—she’s actively reclaiming her culture and creating space for others to do the same. By blending traditional Indigenous patterns with modern tattoo artistry, Del offers a powerful form of cultural expression and transformation, both for herself and her clients.
With an eye toward expanding her creative practice and mentoring future Indigenous artists, Del’s art continues to connect, inspire, and uplift her community, one design at a time.
