Keeper of cradles Dakobinaawaswaan (Baby in a Cradleboard) showcases the beauty of motherhood and legacy of Indigenous traditions with more than 100 cradleboards. Feb 27, 2021 11:06 AM By: Katelin Hogard Allowing a child to see the world at the eye level of adult members of their community is a moment of grace and connection for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Shirley Stevens, along with Caitlyn Bird, have revealed the importance of this with their new exhibit, Dakobinaawaswaan (Baby in a Cradleboard) at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. Shirley Stevens, from Opwaaganasiniing, Lake Helen Reserve, began collecting cradleboards after the cradleboard she used for her daughter, Cree Stevens, disappeared from a moving truck. This cradleboard was gifted to Stevens in Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging, Rocky Bay First Nation, and had carried 18 children.