Indigenous Beadwork: Sharing Our Stories
October 10th is recognized as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the United States. This is a time when everyone is encouraged to reflect and understand the history, told from all sides. It is also a time to celebrate the beauty of Indigenous art, creativity, and culture. We invited Bead Fest instructor Naomi Smith to teach us about the meaning and symbolism woven into Indigenous beadwork.
Above: A man’s floral beaded dance apron c.1880-90.
For Indigenous people, art and life are not separate. In the Annishnabemowen (Ojibway) language, we do not have a word for art. The European convention of displaying painted images on a wall was a foreign concept to our early ancestors. Since Indigenous art and life are entwined, everything is interconnected in significant and spiritual ways. Our roots of creativity began a long time ago as a way of personal expression, and to honor our communities.
Beading as More Than Decorative Art
Indigenous beaded art is a visual language unto itself. What the world sees are our beautifully beaded and vibrantly embellished clothing and accessories. What they may not know is that our handmade adornment signifies our connection to all beings whether human, plant, or animal, and it can also be a form of medicine or protection.
Floral Beadwork
Great Lakes floral or nature-inspired beadwork is typically colorful and stylized. A realistic representation of a flower is less important than the time and effort spent to create the beadwork. When looking at the older beadwork, observers are captivated by the use of bold colors and the flowing style of the flower or leaves. All are truly fantastical in their appearance and rival the textiles by famed 19th century British designer William Morris. It’s important to note the use of floral imagery is not gender specific and many of our men proudly wear fancy floral beaded outfits.
Floral designs allow us to show appreciation and respect for the plants that provide us with life-supporting gifts. For example, in the Great Lakes, strawberries are regarded as the “first fruit that nourishes us after the long winter.” Our ancestors knew that the arrival of the strawberry blossoms signaled a more fertile and prosperous time of year when food was plentiful and the cold days of winter were in the past, for a time. The strawberry is represented in the beadwork of many Nations.
Stories are Woven Into Art and Life
For over 200 years, the original people of the Great Lakes created beadwork in the form of clothing, hats, bags, belts, or items made for the home such as pincushions, needle cases, and small wall pockets. This beautiful floral beadwork is more than decorative, with personal beliefs, community traditions, and significant cultural stories woven into every row.
Related: Indigenous Beadwork with a Modern Twist
Naomi Smith is a member of the Chippewas of Nawash nation and owner of Black Tulip Designs. As a Knowledge Keeper, Naomi shares beading techniques rooted in Indigenous beadwork from the Northeastern and Great Lakes region of North America. She celebrates her community through the story of beads. All photos are courtesy of Naomi Smith.
Beautiful work