Raised Beading Class Held at the Akwesasne Library and Cultural Center

Wednesday, May 25, marked the final day of the Raised Beading Class hosted by the Akwesasne Library and Cultural Center. A total of four class sessions took place with Virginia Jacobs as the teacher.

"Designs can be taken from anything," said Virginia Jacobs, as she displayed a flower design found on a napkin.

The raised beadwork class was filled with six participants from beginner to advanced level of beading experience. Each student chose a different design and beaded on velvet pieces. The beaded velvet sections were then pieced together to form a finished bag. Every student beaded and constructed their bag at their own pace.

"Society has made us perfectionists, but that's not how it used to be," stated Virginia Jacobs to her students when their piece didn't exactly turn out as they envisioned it.

Raised beadwork was developed by the Tuscarora and the Mohawk in the last quarter of the 19th century. Iroquois raised beadwork often depicts natural elements such as flowers, leaves and birds and it can be found on many different pieces. For instance, a western style bag can feature Iroquoian raised beadwork. Today, these elements and styles mix.

The rounded bag created by students has origins in the St. Lawrence River Valley and is commonly referred to as a "Mohawk style." The bag with the wider base is "Mi'k Mak style." Mi'k Mak people used a lot of different colors in their beadwork, said Virginia Jacobs. Six Nations people took this bag style and did raised beadwork on it. This combination created the "Niagara style." This bag was commonly sold by Six Nations people in the Niagara Falls area, hence the name.

Today, a bag like this can be worn with traditional dress, be used as a tobacco pouch or can be given as a gift to someone special. Students of the class will use their newly developed skills to complete their bags as well as other projects that may unfold in the future.