Winner
Traditional Beadwork by Big Bear Moccasins
Made in Edmonton
$200 to $5,000
Facebook @Big Bear Moccasins
Coral Madge (they/their pronouns) never got to meet their great-grandmother, but their family’s matriarch lives on through the act of beading. Their great-grandmother taught beading to Madge’s mother, who was one of many people who then taught it to Madge during a difficult period in their life. Today, Madge has taken those lessons, along with the learned history of their Dene and Métis ancestors, to create traditional beaded moccasins, mukluks, earrings and other items through their business, Big Bear Moccasins. “Through beading, I’ve been able to process my trauma into something beautiful,” Madge explains. “I long to make the world more beautiful than my experience in the world has been.”
Utilizing materials that were present in their ancestors’ work, Madge creates with commercial and smoked hide, Melton wool, velveteen, porcupine quills, caribou hair, moose hair, fish scales and traded antique beads that date back to 1850. They work out of their self-described “grandma corner” with a 1901 Singer sewing machine and a collection of their great-grandma’s floral patterns, and other beads and patterns, tucked away for inspiration.
Madge creates with great care and attention to detail, which is evident in their intricate designs that sometimes take up to 130 hours to complete. The beadwork is a testament to the beauty and importance of tradition, and, while it is a labour of love for Madge, it is also an act of healing and remembrance.
“Through children going to residential schools, loss of land and rights, disenfranchisement, forced starvation, and the pressures of genocide that my ancestors processed, they lived and made something beautiful,” Madge says. “I am honoured to carry on this tradition.”
What the judges said: “Artists such as [Coral Madge] play an important role in keeping traditional stories alive through beadwork. I loved these because of how the artist is able to connect back to their traditional Dene ancestors’ art and use it to inspire and create new beadwork.” Mackenzie Brown
Amy Willier Award Runners-up
Fishscale Floral Earrings by Teal Fawn Designs
Made in Lethbridge
$60 and up
tealfawndesigns.com
Maria Livingston’s fish scale art is a family affair. She has a close relationship with her mother, who taught Livingston various forms of beading, artwork, and sewing, along with other important life lessons driven by faith in the Creator. Livingston says her mother has always supported and loved her and her art unconditionally, which inspired her to create her fish scale earrings in a greater capacity.
Not only did Livingston learn the art form from her mother, but her uncles and dad are also involved, and are usually the ones who catch the fish she works with. Once the fish have been ethically harvested, Livingston filets, washes, dries and dyes the scales in a process that can take up to two weeks. The result is a unique and beautiful flower design made from fish scales on earrings, inspired by floral imagery that is often depicted in traditional Cree beadwork.
Cedar Spirit Dolls by Art by the Métis Mama
Made in Rocky Mountain House
$25 to $35
Cedar Spirit Dolls are more than just dolls — they’re also teachers of Indigenous ways of knowing. Some dolls are meant to educate on Métis teachings, and others share messages of the seven sacred teachings, of plant medicine or animal medicine, or of a way to help people remember the truth of who they are as a spiritual being.
Shelley Rose May of Art by the Métis Mama makes her dolls’ outfits from donated ribbon skirt scraps and other fabric scraps, which means that every doll is one-of-a-kind. They’re also embellished with wood, semi-precious stones, seashells, feathers, authentic Métis sashes, and medicines including garden-grown or harvested sage. The result is a precious and unique creation that is meant to be cherished, or even shared with someone else, for years to come.
Cedar Spirit Dolls are to be visible year-round and should be placed in an area of your home or office to remind you of your spiritual truth. “If there comes a time when you feel that the doll has served its purpose and you want to bless someone else with it, do so,” says May. “This is practicing the spirit of generosity.”
Beaded Pencil Brim Hat by Sakihta Swag
Made in Redwood Meadows
$700
Instagram @sakihta_swag
Creator Racquel Fraser loves fashion and seeks to create wearable art that both celebrates her identity as a Cree woman but that can be worn by anyone. High-quality hats, artfully chosen colour schemes, and beading done by a precise hand are the hallmark qualities of a Sakihta Swag Beaded Pencil Brim Hat.
While Fraser refuses to compromise quality, she balances this with affordability. She uses high-quality Australian wool hats as her base and will redo hours of beadwork if she needs to start fresh on a project and try again. Her eye for detail and meticulous hand mean hats often take 15 to 20 hours to complete, but Fraser has vowed never to sell anything she wouldn’t wear herself. These one-of-a-kind pieces are a fashion statement designed to be worn and loved. And while Fraser notes that while she’s only been beading hats for a year and half, customer feedback has been positive that these Beaded Pencil Brim Hats can withstand the weight of beading.
