major works

Annabella Mckay (Lennox, 2024)

A portrait of Anabella Mckay (my great-grandmother) walking down a summer Winnipeg street made up of 87,074 beads.

Click here to see the CBC article written about it.

I thank and acknowledge the First Peoples Heritage, Language and Culture Council and their partners in the Arts Program, the BC Arts Council, and the Government of British Columbia’s Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation who supported this project. Portraiture photos taken by Cydney Lawrence.

Beaded Thesis: Miyo-atoskâta: Weaving Métis Wisdom into Higher Education

Miyo-atoskâta: Weaving Métis Wisdom into Higher Education. This research aimed to center Métis higher education student’s experiences and contribute to the development of culturally responsive higher education spaces that prioritize spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. A flat stitch flower bud pin was designed and beaded to guide the research visioning process. The flower bud itself represents the potential of higher education spaces surrounded by foliage representing the themes of fostering a sense of identity and reconciliation.

Materials to create this beadwork include Indigenous harvested and processed smoked wild-caught caribou hide, gifted vintage glass beads, contemporary Czech and Japanese beads, wool, synthetic thread, and beeswax.