Loom Beading Class, Mar 2010
Jokes and laughter accompanied the first of our four beading classes this past month. Members worked with looms to create their own pieces of art, some of which ended up as barrettes, bracelets and key chains.
Our Loom Beading CPP’s (Committed Project Participants) are: Lula Rood, Kay Touhy, Sarah Holmes-Shenoskey, Becky Shenoskey, Loretta Parkey and Rae-Lynn Parkey Frisbie. Please give them the support and appreciation they deserve for agreeing to be the keepers of this art for future generations.
Whenever possible, the Traditional Arts Project utilizes the skills of its members during our trainings. Therefore, BLB members Doris Massey and Mary Slocum taught this particular class along with myself, since all of us have extensive experience in loomwork. (As Project employees, Mary and I donated our share of the honorarium to the Tribe.)
I’d like to say Chi-miigwech to Mary for her hard work in putting together a power-point presentation on the historical account of beading among the Anishinaabeg. She also brought along a homemade loom made from a thin branch which was bent and then tied with beading thread. The warp threads were strung at both ends through wiigwass (birchbark) to hold the threads the appropriate distance from one another. These lightweight looms were used for ease of traveling among seasonally nomadic Anishinaabeg and because the branch could easily be held between the knees while beading.
Attendees from youth to Elders were given various patterns to work from. They designed their own patterns onto graph paper, strung their looms and set to work. Community events such as these always lend to greater creativity through the sharing of one another’s artwork and different techniques. As members soon realized, working with beads is exciting when the design comes to life as different colored beads are woven into the work. Many oohs and aahs were heard as people’s own designs progressed.
Special thanks goes out to Doris for helping teach this class. As a Traditional Beader, she has many little tidbits about what works well and what doesn’t. Her skill and patience as a teacher greatly added to our knowledge.
Chi-miigwech miinwaa (thank you again) to all who helped make our beading class successful!
