Collection: Birchbark Beauties
The Birchbark Beauties collection is a celebration of heritage, honour, and artistry, featuring pieces that showcase the versatile and enduring elegance of birchbark. As my signature classic offering, this collection reflects years of dedication to an established Anishinaabe Girl Designs aesthetic.
This is my personal, original artistry—a unique expression born from my own journey. This specific aesthetic, developed over many years, is a signature of my work and is not to be replicated or copied.
The Artistry
As an Anishinaabe designer who has always been urban—having lived in the City of Winnipeg my entire life—my jewellery is defined by the powerful juxtaposition of the organic birchbark, which I source through ceremony, with refined metal components. This contrast perfectly embodies the balance between my spiritual roots on the land and my lived experience in the city and respects the times we visited our community with my grandmother as a youth.
Cultural Sourcing and Protocol
The creation process for my Birchbark Beauties begins with the utmost respect for the land. Following cultural protocols, all birchbark is ethically sourced, taken from the land rather than live trees as much as possible, a practice I have been known for over the years. As a citizen of Sagkeeng First Nation, I source my materials near or within my home community in the Treaty 1 Territory. This process is sacred and is undertaken after conducting a Pipe Ceremony, and only the amount needed for the year is harvested. All materials are feasted, honouring the spirit and gifts of the natural world that make all my collections possible.
Traditional Context of Birch Bark
For the Anishinaabe and other nations, birchbark has historically been an indispensable, versatile material. It was essential for creating the iconic birchbark canoes. Birchbark was also critical for intricate storage containers such as baskets and other vessels, used for ceremonial scrolls, birchbark biting, and other artistry. By utilizing this material, I emphasize its profound cultural significance and transform it into unique, boujee wearable art.
