Traditional Arts

“When I sew my seed beads into moose hide, my hands resonate with the motions of ancestors before me. But this practice was hard fought. It did not come to me naturally, but had to be chased after, interrogated, explored.

There is infinite beauty in learning ancient ways: something old, something refined, something passed down by small, steady, guided motions. Our arts are encyclopedias of our world. Our floral beadwork is a guide to the medicines and plants that are significant to us, that we interact with, that we count on to be in our surroundings. Our plants are documented in our illustrations, whether with bead, thread, quill or grass. Without access and abundance of these plants, our arts are fundamentally threatened.

My mother taught me how to bead, but her practice was rare. Our matrilineal line was fractured; she grew up without her mother, who grew up without her mother. Working full time distanced her from the maintenance of her health, wellbeing and traditions. Beading–something so integral to our cultural expression–was occasional. My own beading has always felt like a luxury. Never something to be taken for granted.”

excerpt from forthcoming 2023 piece for the International Museum of Folk Arts