Jennifer Sinclair 0:00 I think as it takes its place and becomes more visible to mainstream and even members of our own communities, when they see that grandmas' and moms' beadwork taking these types of awards and places, that there is that growing pride. Leonor Dias 0:38 Passion, history, creativity and connection. That's what this is all about. I'm Leonor Dias. Katarina Zeni 0:44 and I'm Katarina Zeni. Welcome to the very first episode of reclaiming creativity and rewriting the story. This is a podcast where we, as journalism students, will dive into lost cultural practices from the past and observe how they endure in the modern day. Leonor Dias 0:59 Before we get into the episode, we want to acknowledge the land we are coming to you from. This podcast is hosted in Tkaronto, on the traditional territory of many nations, including those of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Mississaugas of the Credit, and Wendat peoples. We recognize and learn from the rich tradition of oral storytelling that is rooted in global Indigenous community practices. Katarina Zeni 1:24 Throughout history, there are many recounts of cultural practices and art forms that were lost to colonization, and therefore lost upon younger generations. As we learn more about the past, and people become more comfortable with speaking their truth, these art forms are being rediscovered and repurposed. The goal is to bridge the gap in history and decolonize people's stories. Leo actually had the privilege to experience some of this firsthand. Leonor Dias 1:48 That's right. I attended a beading circle myself, and it was honestly such an amazing experience. We sat together in groups of three and beaded while listening to the childhood stories of our teacher. I have so much appreciation for the artists who sit down to master this art form, because it truly is so intricate, and take so much patience and attention to detail. At the same time, though, it's such a comforting way to build community with others. There's something so intimate about sitting together telling stories and talking while creating art. Katarina Zeni 2:22 That's amazing, Leo, and I really do agree. I respect the art form a lot too. That's why on today's episode, we'll be taking you on a journey as we speak to individuals and experts who are working to decolonize Indigenize, and reinvent Indigenous and Native fashion. Leonor Dias 2:37 To help us learn more and share her experience, our first guest today is Jennifer Sinclair. She's an Indigenous chef and beginner beader from Ottawa, who has been on her rediscovery journey for over 10 years. Jennifer Sinclair 2:52 I'm an adoptee. So from the 60 Scoop. So I was raised in a British family that had immigrated here to Ottawa. But there was always this quest always this want to learn to know more. And it was just finding that avenue finding that way there. And it was when I went back to school and took an Indigenous Studies course at Algonquin College, along with the Public Relations program, but it was through that program that I actually began to physically take steps. I applied for my Indian status. I learned where my community was I contacted my community I found my biological family. So I began to make conscious choices and be aware that I was working to learn more. Leonor Dias 3:53 Now, Jennifer mentioned the 60 Scoop, which we have to disclaim was a horrible time in both Canadian and indigenous history. During the 1950s and 60s, the government forcibly took Indigenous children from their families and placed them in the care of white parents. Katarina Zeni 4:12 On top of it all, it wasn't just about separating family. It was about erasing culture. The federal government's policy deliberately stressed the suppression of traditional practices, and sought to prevent children from being raised with traditions like beading. Leonor Dias 4:27 Years down the line, Jennifer moved to Bear Island in Lake Temagami of Northeastern Ontario to learn more about her past. Here she is now telling us about some of her experiences. Jennifer Sinclair 4:39 I also got a job working on Bear island and was the cook at the daycare. So that also exposed me and my daughter at the same time to the culture of the people of Bear Island and the Ojibwe there. They had all kinds of programs. We made ribbons, skirts, moccasins. So there was all kinds of things. And that's where I began to get into beading. I'd always admired beading, always love beading, and didn't know how to do it. There were a couple of lessons here and there, but I didn't really pick it up, it was really hard to figure out. I'm now working the Wabano Aboriginal Health Center, and have access to so many creative, talented women and men that are doing all kinds of artwork and beadwork and sewing and everything. So I can take my beads into them and say, "I don't know how to do an edging," and they'll teach me how to edge. There's always somebody there that can help me through a pattern. Katarina Zeni 5:48 Jennifer's passion for beading and fashion on Bear Island really makes you wish you were there. Leonor Dias 5:53 Unfortunately, we can't be. But talking to her kind of gives us a sense that we are. Jennifer Sinclair 5:59 So then there's this whole range of ages. So the conversation is just incredible to be a part of it. And the learning that goes back and forth. I mean, I have certain amount of experience at 61. But I also learned so much from the young women that are there. Jennifer Sinclair 6:35 What I love about our community, and the beading world, I was in a beading store looking at beads. And this woman came up and started talking to me. And she was Native. And I was explaining to her that I'm a newbie and that I'm you know, looking at doing this and she's saying, "Oh, you don't want to buy beads here because they're really expensive, go to this place over there" and gave me the address. And there's so much better. And we got to talking and I was explaining that I liked application. So that's what I do. And she pulls up her work on her phone. And I said, "you have a photograph underneath?" And she said "yeah, that's how we do it." Katarina Zeni 7:23 I really appreciate Jennifer sharing her journey with us. It's just so inspiring. Leonor Dias 7:28 I agree. It's so interesting to hear her talk about how one of her favorite parts of beading is just the women sitting together and talking about anything. Katarina Zeni 7:37 It's true. It's an important part of life and of the practice. Did you know that traditionally, beading circles acted as a safe space where women could share ideas and emotions. It was like a creative and fun support group. Leonor Dias 7:50 It really makes you wonder how losing the sense of community affected not only the art form, but indigenous identities altogether. Katarina Zeni 8:12 This brings us to our second guest of the day. Leonor Dias 8:15 Amber-Dawn Bear Robe is an Indigenous art historian and curator based in Santa Fe. She was born in Alberta, Canada, and is a member of SikSika nation. After getting a bachelor of fine arts and two masters, she became the Director of Urban Shaman. This is the largest Indigenous artists run center in America. Years later, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts asked her to put on a fashion show of Indigenous designers. She has been doing so ever since. Amber-Dawn Bear Robe 8:45 My next five to 10 year vision, goals, and hopes are twofold. And that is that with the fashion shows that we do here to make Santa Fe the place where industry comes to experience and work with Indigenous fashion. And then the other. The other component is that money. Somehow I need to get some sort of money to support and to pay the designers that come to work here. So the other component is to have, you know, a huge financial financial backing. Katarina Zeni 8:47 Amber-Dawn's work has focused on bringing attention to Indigenous and Native American artists. These artists present both traditional and innovative designs that go beyond our understanding of their fashion. Leonor Dias 9:34 Exactly. When colonial practices were put in place, Indigenous and Native American art wasn't given the opportunity to thrive. Amber-Dawn Bear Robe 9:42 I mean, there's many instances you can point out how colonization was detrimental to fashion. One thing that just supporting the residential school in the assimilation program, you know, not allowed to speak your language, practice in the arts, wear your clothing. So that there was a huge, huge right there residential boarding schools. Another huge factor of colonization, that had a huge impact on vision and fashion is that Anthropology. Right? Anthropology has framed, scientifically framed fashion as an anthropological object that needs to be preserved in a museum. And so, the introduction, Native fashion was never given the chance to be Native fashion. It's always been random curiosity as an object for exotic and or studies. Leonor Dias 10:44 Amber-Dawn is using her role to give Indigenous and Native American artists a platform. This is an amazing way to combat stereotypes. Katarina Zeni 10:53 Exactly. But she says there's only so much she can do. It's not an easy process by any means. Amber-Dawn Bear Robe 11:00 The money is there for money, people, you know, when you look at Native art, it's a billion dollar industry, how many billion dollar artists do you know? Right? It's a matter of the money being funneled into the wrong spaces and places. Leonor Dias 11:15 So then how can we as settlers help support the push for better representation? Katarina Zeni 11:20 Well, Amber, Dawn puts it plain and simple. Amber-Dawn Bear Robe 11:23 Well, you can do exactly what you're doing right now with reaching out and having conversations. Reaching out and when you're in a position of power, to not just use grant money to hire Native curator, but to actually have a full time high paid position for that curator. Right. So it really it really depends on what position you are in in life to be supportive. Leonor Dias 12:00 Amber Dawn taught us that Indigenous and Native American artists have been carving out their place in the fashion industry, but they still have a ways to go. Katarina Zeni 12:09 Totally. And we should all do our part to support them. Actually, we're starting to see a lot of these designs more often in popular culture, Leo, I'm not sure if you've seen Avatar The Last Airbender, but Kiawentiio Tarbell, is an actress who plays one of the main characters. Recently, she wore a stunning beaded corset on the red carpet. Leonor Dias 12:29 I saw it! And if you've seen Killers of the Flower Moon, there are subtle references to early beading throughout Martin Scorsese's film. There is a scene with beautiful beaded blankets with flags sewn into the cloth. And fun fact, those are inspired by traditional Osage blanket patterns from the 1920s. The whole movie has a lot of wonderful tributes like that one. Katarina Zeni 12:52 I have to say after seeing those pieces, I was curious about the history behind the complex practice. I also began to wonder how beading found its way into the modern fashion industry. Leonor Dias 13:02 Well Kat lucky for you, we found someone who can answer all of these questions. Leonor Dias 13:18 Here talking more about beating is Jori Brennon, a Two-Spirit Indigenous bead artist from Frog Lake and Ministikwan. He's an incredible artist and designer with a primary focus on beadwork. His art includes crafting accessories, such as earrings, hair pieces and bags. Katarina Zeni 13:35 Yeah, I've seen some of his pieces and they're amazing. His artistic vision revolves around merging traditional indigenous elements with contemporary aesthetics. You can hear him talking about his experiences with the art form in his Tiktok videos. Jori Brennon 13:49 Hey everyone, let's design some cuffs. So the first thing that I did was design a rough draft of what we're going for. I drew out the shape, we wanted different trim patterns that I designed to match the overall theme of the regalia. I then asked my partner to try it on so that I can get the measurements that I need. It looks like it needs to be a little wider for what we're going for. This is my second draft, it's measured a little more precisely so that the cuff is symmetrical. It's also wider on the side so that the cuff will stick out like a lightning bolt, onto to the third draft. And this is the final drawing that I will do and what I will bead over. I have my moon hidden behind the clouds. I'm going to freehand some stars to the back and then at the trim. Here's how the cuff fits now and it sticks out like we wanted it to. And there we are. This is how I designed a pair of cuffs. Katarina Zeni 14:38 It's incredible how these practices can be passed down through generations, even after everything Indigenous communities have been through. Leonor Dias 14:45 Oh, absolutely. But some of the materials being used today aren't the same as those in the past. We can listen to Jori speak more about it here. Jori Brennon 14:54 Beadwork is an art form that has been practiced by cultures around the world for millennia in North America. Indigenous beadwork has a rich and diverse history that spans pre-contact times to the present day. Indigenous peoples such as the Plains Cree, the Ojibwe and other nations use beads made from shells, bone, stone and other natural materials to decorate clothing, moccasins, bags, and other items. Jori Brennon 15:31 With the arrival of European traders, the First Nations beadwork began to incorporate glass beads imported from Europe. These new beads were smaller and more colorful than the traditional materials, allowing for greater intricacy and detail in the designs, Katarina Zeni 15:44 Gathering those materials and putting them together one by one seems like a really long process. Leonor Dias 15:50 You're right Kat, sometimes it can be. But Jori says that there's peace, passion and love woven into it. And that makes it all worthwhile. Jori Brennon 16:00 I'm gonna share with you another teaching that I was taught from my Mom. When we bead we are to bead with the thoughts and good energy because we put that energy into the pieces that we create. So when you bead, bead with good intentions, and your work will reflect that. Katarina Zeni 16:19 It's honestly so refreshing to hear about how beadwork has continued to thrive despite such difficult times. Leonor Dias 16:25 I definitely agree. Hearing Jori talk about how important beading is to him. Well, I don't know about you, but it makes me wish I took the time to appreciate my creative hobbies more. Katarina Zeni 16:36 You're not wrong. I also love how Jori spoke about beading with his mother and her teachings. In fact, when doing research, I learned that Indigenous bead patterns can be passed through generations. These designs tend to tell the stories of its people. Leonor Dias 16:50 It's a wonderful form of storytelling. But not everyone is afforded the opportunity. Unfortunately, in the wake of the 60 scoop and the residential school system, many of these designs were lost. Katarina Zeni 17:02 That's very true, Leo. But that's not to say that tradition can't be continued. At least not if our first guest Jennifer has anything to say about it. Jennifer Sinclair 17:15 I've always felt that because, as an adoptee being raised apart from and relearning that, I'm free to make up what I want. The whole world is made up of experiences of what we see and who we meet and who we talk to, or what has happened to us. So even my cultural expressions are a reflection of that. So the stories that I am learning are from women and for men, all across Canada. Anyway, so I'm kinda like a patchwork quilt. Leonor Dias 17:54 I really just love Jennifer's attitude and her approach to Indigenous fashion. I really don't think this art form is going anywhere, anytime soon. Katarina Zeni 18:03 It really isn't. If we all continue to support artists, ask questions and attend these events ourselves. We can help reestablish the beautiful and important practices. Leonor Dias 18:13 Honestly, there's no doubt in my mind that it won't have endless benefits. Katarina Zeni 18:18 Thank you for joining us on our bead working journey and our first episode of Reclaiming Creativity and Rewriting the Story. Leonor Dias 18:25 We really hope you enjoyed learning about beading, its importance and its power. Katarina Zeni 18:30 Don't forget to support local Indigenous and Native American artists. See you around and until next time, Leonor Dias and Katarina Zeni 18:36 stay creative. Transcribed by https://otter.ai