Mâwasakokwâtam (2022)

This is the body of work which resulted from my 3 month residency at the Calgary Public Library.

ᓱᐦᑲᐦᒐᐦᑫᐧᐃᐧᐣ

(sohkahcahkwewin)

Photo transfer on canvas, acrylic paint, glass beads, deerhide. 

Nohkomis awa. This is my grandmother and her two brothers. This photo was taken in the early 1940s, as my kokom and her young brother were about to face the incredible hardship and tragedy of the Indian Residential School system. Later, my kokom would also be admitted to an Indian Hospital with tuberculosis, a disease which ran rampant in the conditions of these “schools”. I often consider both the strength and luck required of them to survive, and I stitch as a way of caring for their small bodies; adorning them to honour the strength of their spirits.

ᓃᓱᓂᑐᐊᐧᐠ

(nisonotowak)

Deerhide, glass beads, thread, cotton, pearls.

This heirloom bag was tucked away in my late grandmother’s sewing things, falling into disrepair. I took it apart, cleaned it, and reassembled the pieces. During my residency, I continued adorning this piece with my stitches, once again as a way of caring for my ancestors. The title of this piece, nisonitowak, means ‘they hold one another’.

Chapan’s Flowers

Rawhide, wood frame, acrylic and watercolour paints.

These flower designs originate in the beadwork of my great grandmother Adele Pascal (Cardinal); a highly skilled Metis woman of Lac La Biche, Alberta. She was a remarkable craftswoman, cook, fisher, gatherer, mother, grandmother, and midwife. 

ᒫᐊᐧᓴᑯᑳᐧᑕᒼ

(mâwasakokwâtam)

Glass and plastic beads, fishing line, thread, wool, cotton cord, varied metal charms, conchos, elk antler, mule deer antler.

This collaborative beadwoven quilt is the result of contributions from 50+ workshop participants. Kinanaskomitinawaw!

Blankets, and specifically quilts, are often gifted as symbols of welcoming, importance, or honour. I was inspired to construct my own quilt using beads as a way to honour the legacy of my grandmother. She first taught me how to bead, and years later I am called to pass the love and wisdom I have found in beadwork onwards. I saw no better way to construct this work than to enlist the help of some eager learners! Between 6 workshops, we hosted over 100 participants of all ages with the aim of creating a final piece to connect and celebrate community. Participants learned and then donated peyote stitch diamonds and beaded tassels for this collaborative piece. We learn balance and patience from stitchwork. Beadwork is good medicine.