About
Advocate • Brand Model • Curator • Donor • Volunteer • Sponsor
Brandi Lee Sawyer
Brandi, known by many as BThunder (One Who Walks With Thunder) is truly what she brings in every aspect of her life. Along her journey of life Brandi has walked the runway as a model for the Indigenous Brand, Sky-Eagle Collection. One of her passions is creating wall and sculpture art, welding, last but certainly not least, designing fashion accessories, such as her handcrafted Boho-style bracelet collections, handmade Outerwear Apparel and Patent-Pending, luxury leather Teepee Handbag Collections for all.
Education & Awareness
As the first-ever Curator/Donor, alongside Education Ambassador at IAIS, Darlene Kascak (Schaghticoke Tribal Nation) together they created Educational Outreach programs for the Watertown, CT Public School System. In creating and donating the program, it has provided students with field trips to The Institute for American Indian Studies Museum & Research in Washington,CT. An innovative way for students and educators alike to engage in interactive, hands-on learning of the Native Americans' true history, beautiful culture, traditions and ways of life!
Advocate & Brand Model
Brandi strives to help her own community, surrounding areas, near and far throughout the US. BThunder plays an integral role through her volunteerism, donations and Sponsorships for businesses and organizations such as: The Harold Leever Cancer Foundation, The Joe Garassino Foundation, Watertown, CT Police Department, Toys for Tots, The Institute for American Indian Studies Museum & Research, National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, Sun ,Moon and Stars Inc- Autism Awareness, Running Strong and St Labre Indian School.
REDress Project
Brandi's dedication to bring awareness is seen through her efforts as a Sponsor, Volunteer, Donor and Coordinator for The REDress Project Installation at The Institute for American Indian Studies Museum. For the last three years the installation was presented during MMIW Awareness Week. Brandi's mission to carryout the original work of Curator, Met'is Jaime Black is seen through public exhibit installations, photography and visual arts, in the New England region specifically. Her fourth year in her Advocacy for the REDress Project will be on a much larger scale.
Her passion to this Cause; the MMIW epidemic, is seen through collecting, donating and hanging with care. Each year during Awareness Week, starting May 1st, hundreds of RED dresses can be seen along the Red Trail at IAIS, as well as her own residence.
In Brandi's words,"It takes a "tribe", so to speak, of many to create the exhibit, I couldn't do it without the Educators and staff at IAIS, my family and dedicated volunteers. I am so grateful to all that put their time and heart into this important Cause".
Brandi continues her Advocacy in every aspect of her life, most recent, her newly debuted page on the the website dedicated to MMIW, with statistics and exclusive BThunder apparel and accessories for purchase. Her youngest daughter, Maddyx, is not only a brand model, but the artist behind the exclusive MMIW design. A portion of all proceeds on all products throughout the BThunder website goes to https://www.nirwc.org/mmiwawareness.
Apparel, art & accessories for a Cause!!
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Community Outreach
Brandi has played an integral role as the guest speaker for the 1st ever Native American Educational Event for Children and Families with Autism as well as local residents from the American Legion Post in Watertown. Brandi is a top sponsor for the IAIS and raised over $3,000 in just 72 hours.
A Portion of all BThunder Sales Proceeds are donated to the
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is an epidemic of violence against Indigenous women in Canada, the United States, and Latin America; notably those in the FNIM (First Nations, Inuit, Métis) and Native American communities.
