Sally Thielen, "South Eagle Woman", is of Chippewa descent. Her family’s Indian name is Mashue (May-zhu). Sally is recognized as an accomplished artist in many media, but is perhaps best known for her raku porcelain masks. She uses only Native Americans as models, and when the masks are finished, she preserves her models' identities by referring to them only by their first names.
           In order to remain faithful to the Chippewa traditions, Thielen spends hours researching historical and contemporary patterns and designs. Sally Thielen creates art with a harmony and balance between both ancient and contemporary ideas.