Arts Learning

We had 40 people who participated in the beading sessions at least once, and another 30 people who attended the final celebratory event. About eighteen of the participants were able to successfully finish their pieces. The majority of the participants were Native American, which was our target audience. The age range of the participants went from 12 to 70; most were women, but there were a handful of young men as well. There was a great deal of tribal diversity among participants, including people from the different Ojibwe bands in Minnesota, Lakota and Dakota Sioux, Ho-Chunk, and Potawatomi Nations. We had a number of non-Natives as well, including people who identified as European American/White or African American. A quarter of the participants had no previous beading experience. Two thirds had “some experience,” and only one person rated themselves a “fairly experienced in beadwork,” so the classes had a nice mix of rookies to those with some background. This turned out to be helpful because some of the groups were pretty big, and with only two or three instructors/coaches, the participants helped each other. The social element of the classes was one aspect they liked the most about the project—being able to sit around the table, working on their projects, and talking: the time spent with community while completing my project; the people, welcoming environment, tested my patience which was very good for me, knowledge of the instructors; it has been a nice little escape for me, and its motivated me to start beading at home; So much time to sit and practice and be creative. My life is stressful and its very therapeutic; it’s a great place to work, staff was helpful and understanding; people actually talked and had fun; gathering, socializing, native music (when available); beading and gossiping. Projects like this are especially important to Native Americans, who have experienced historical trauma, including separations from their families, culture and identities. This came out in the comments of participants as well: “Nokomis (grandmother) did beadwork on a loom, so I always told myself I would one day try it. As I was beading my tulips, I felt that much closer to a woman who made such as positive impact on my life,” and “Greater connection to my culture that I have only just begun to learn about due to not knowing about it while growing up. Thank you for that opportunity.” The beading workshops were held in the Gallery which is on the main floor of the Indian Center, so was easy to get to for people with mobility challenges. All of the supplies were provided through the project, which helped many of the low-income people overcome barriers to participate in this art form. Participants completed beading projects and reported feeling a great sense of accomplishment and community, as noted by half of the participants. 75% of participants said their skills increased and 75% noted they learned more about Ojibwe culture, history and traditions.