Beading and Silverberries

Beading

We can put beadwork on anything. You can bead directly onto the hide garment, or you can bead a patch and tack it onto a garment. I tend to bead patches and then tack them onto traditional clothing.

     

Silverberries

Silverberries are common across North America. They are found in areas with dry rocky soil. My mother and I drove to Kluane National park to collect these berries. The berries are collected around July. Locals would call them don jack berries or stone berries.

Steps taken to make beads from silverberries.

1. Harvest seeds around July-August.
2. They are washed then put into a pot to boil.
3. The pulp is removed and they are laid out to dry.
4. Before they dry completely, they are threaded and made into beads.

The seeds are then created into pieces of First Nation beadwork.

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