By Alex Soloducha

PHOTOS: Beading closes gap between generations

Jun 21, 2014 | 8:49 AM

The Mann Art Gallery has opened its doors to the latest exhibit.

Beading Between Generations was put together by eight beaders and their families who came together to share in their history.

Cindy Hanson PhD is the curator of the exhibit, which officially opened at 7 p.m. Friday night.

It is based off a study on Cree, Metis and Dene beaders called Intergenerational Learning in Indigenous Textile Communities.

Hanson said she had been working with the beaders for two years when she finished collecting data. The beaders decided to conclude with an art exhibit.

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The participants in the study volunteered, and passed the word on to others they knew who might want to be involved. The result was a group of beaders from different First Nations in the province.

According to Hanson, beading is a form of informal learning, which means it’s something that is passed through family and community. Groups of women often get together to talk and the younger girls hear stories that they can learn from. This turns beading into more than a pastime.

“They look at it as feeling pride in what they do. They feel that it’s part of their identity,” said Hanson. “One of the findings that came out of the study is that women traditionally would get together to bead. It’s while those times that people are together that they share information. As one of the participants in the study described it, it’s where you learn to be a woman.”

Hanson said it’s very similar to learning quilting and sewing, except beading has a cultural aspect as well.

“If you talk to the elders, what they talk about is hunting the moose and tanning the hide. So that’s as much part of the story as anything, as the actual beading. So it’s also about a connection to the land,” she said.

The exhibit is full of pride for the beautiful pieces, according to Hanson.

“Hopefully people will learn how the knowledge is passed through the generations and a valuing of that type of knowledge,” said Hanson.

Elder Mary Smith from Montreal Lake Cree Nation submitted pieces to the exhibit along with her daughter Patsy Naytowhow and granddaughter Andrea McDonald. She said it was always important to her to get them involved in beading.

Now, she says they’re even better than her at the skill she taught them.

“First I get them started, then Patsy takes over and she makes it more interesting,” said Smith.

asoloducha@rawlco.com

On Twitter: @alex_soloducha