NWT Arts

I am a beadworker and caribou hair tufting artist. I can do a bit of everything, working with a wide range of organic materials. I use caribou antlers that I cut and polish with resin until they are shiny. I also use gemstones like tiger’s eye, turquoise, jade, amethyst, and fresh water pearls. All my supplies are sourced from other Indigenous artists within Canada whenever possible. 

I’m originally from Fort Smith. Growing up, I saw my aunties and my grandma bead all the time. The craft room they used was awesome! I sat with them often and over time, they taught me everything that they learned from their mothers and grandmothers. These skills have been passed down in my family.

My aunties have always inspired me big time, especially my talented auntie Liz Fortier. Growing up she was the one who I watched the most. I saw how much love and time she spent into making things for her family. My grandma, Eva Beaulieu, could work with multiple beading styles and work with any material:  her knowledge was incredibly vast. One day, I want to learn how to make traditional items like she used to make, especially moccasins.

Creating art makes me feel calm and genuinely happy. Beadwork gives me something to focus on that grounds me once the kids are sleeping. I love to witness how an idea in my head transforms into something real: it’s so satisfying!

I don’t draw my designs before I start working, they seem to just be embedded in my brain! I’ll look at the shape of the stones I have on hand and imagine what can be created with it. It’s like a visualization. If I have a specific vision, I will find the materials that match that. If I’m unsure, I will look at all my materials, figuring out how everything could fall together. Once I’m set on what I want to do, then I get to work.

The seasons are a big inspiration for my art. I love the Fall season, especially Halloween, so I’ll use darker tones during that time. I’ll look at what’s outside or which feelings I am moved by at the moment and ask myself: how can I reflect that in my designs? I sometimes find natural materials that will spark an idea, like feathers or unusually-shaped stones. 

I feel a strong connection to my Cree heritage when I bead. When I’m holding moose hide, I am reminded of home, of my auntie’s cabin, of being out on the land. I am also reminded of how those materials have been brought in through tradition. The provenance of my materials — how they were harvested and processed with honour for the animal and by who — is an integral part of my artwork. Keeping those traditions alive is essential to me