As is important to many Indigenous cultures across the globe, I feel the need to begin by introducing myself and providing a self-location to give context to my words and perspectives. Self-locating is a tool that is often used by Indigenous scholars as it means more than simply outlining where you are from, it involves “relationships to the land, language, spiritual, cosmological, political, economical, environmental, and social elements in one’s life”.1Absolon, K and C Willet. “Putting Ourselves Forward: Location in Aboriginal Research.” L. Brown and S. Strega, 2005. The act of self-location provides the readers with a greater depth in understanding where an author’s thoughts and words are coming from and often provides more meaning to the overall impact of the article at hand.
Self-Location
My name is Samantha Gibson, and owing to my maternal lineage, I am Métis of the Métis Nation of the Rising Sun in Gaspésie, Quebec. On my father’s side I am of English, Scottish, and Welsh settler descent. I grew up mainly on the Robinson-Huron Treaty Territory as an uninvited guest in what is now Sudbury, Ontario. Indigenous identity and culture was never a topic of discussion growing up, and though it was never explicitly explained in this way, I’m sure the reasons it was hidden and kept secret in our family for so long was from generations of violence and trauma relating to our Indigeneity
My maternal grandfather had a suspicion that we were Indigenous in some way, and through some genealogical research discovered our Métis heritage. This discovery allowed us to begin a process of reconnection with our ancestral roots. Up to that moment, I had no connection to my Indigenous culture or land for most of my life. It was only when I was fortunate enough to continue my post-secondary education at the University of Victoria as an uninvited guest on the Lekwungen and WSÁNEĆ territory that the bonds to my Indigeneity have been kindled. I now am in the process of working through my Masters in Kinesiology, with a thesis focus on equity in Indigenous health.
In undertaking this process of self-location, the purpose of this article is made clear; to discuss the ways that reconnecting to my culture is guiding me in decolonizing my current and future research.
The Beading Process as a Methodology of Research
During the first semester of my postgraduate studies, I had the opportunity to participate in a class called the LE,NOṈET Graduate Seminar, a course specifically designed to encourage Indigenous students to incorporate Indigenous ideologies and frameworks into their research and work. Our final assignment had us reflect on the topics we had discussed throughout the term and create our own research framework that included Indigenous ideals and perspectives. Developing this framework made me reflect on my own identity and the teachings I have received which have resonated with my ideals not only as an individual, but as an Indigenous researcher in a Western and colonial academic institution. This led me to develop a framework that compares the process of working through research methodology with the practice of learning how to bead.
The research framework I have developed follows the process of learning how to bead fringe earrings. The diagram I have provided should aid in clarifying the parts of the earrings being outlined throughout the process that follows.
The first step of the beading process is choosing the pattern and colours of beads that will form the earrings. In research I felt that this could be reflected in choosing a topic of interest that you are passionate about or is connected to you. Your self-location in the research process can also be seen in choosing your beads and their colours. These the beads represent your preferences and orientation to the subject you’re engaging with. The next step in the earring beading process is to bead the brick stitch, which is often referred to at the backbone of the earrings (1). This parallels the literature review process of any research project, which supports the aims of a study and provides necessary contexts for the research field that forms the backbone of any research. Both the brick stitch and the literature review determine the width or scope and the integrity of the project being engaged with.
The process of creation continues by beading the triangular top of the earrings (2). This process reflects of the narrowing of the topic of research and turning it into a research question. This sturdy narrowing of the earrings is mirrored in the background research to research proposal process because the background research builds evidence that the proposed study is warranted.
The next step is building and attaching the fringes to the triangular top of the earrings (3). Depending on the width of the earrings, or perhaps the scope of the research, there may be more or less fringes required to fill out the bottom of the earrings. The fringes represent the individual steps required to complete the research project and expand on the exploration of the chosen topic or question. Each of the individual fringes represent the hypothesis, methodology, participant recruitment, data collection, analysis, and conclusions of the research process. The variation of the bead patterns in these fringe earrings depends on their width, but once they have been completed, they ensure the top of the earrings, and their resulting fringes look cohesive and complete.
The final step in constructing the earrings is ensuring all of the beads are secure and attaching the hardware or findings (4). This can be reflective of the final editing process of our research. Both the process of editing, and the process of attaching findings are crucial in the final preparation of our research, making our work ready for presentation and sharing.
Attaching the hardware to the earrings means that they are ready to be worn proudly and seen by the world. This is a feeling that I associate with completing research, I have hope that the final product is something to be proud of and that can be shared with anyone who may benefit from the results. One last aspect of the earrings that can be compared to the research process and ideology is the interconnectedness of a researcher to their work and the thread used to hold all the beads together (5).
In learning how to bead, Yvonne Houssin taught me that the first pair of earrings that you make on your own after having learned how to create a new kind of beading pattern should be a gift to someone else. This is a guideline that I feel is important to incorporate into research. Of course, the research someone is doing should be in a field they are interested in, but the research should be completed with the full intention of benefitting the group being researched. Wanting to make a difference for the people I am doing research about or in partnership with remains incredibly important.
Beading as Pedagogical Resurgence
Having the opportunity to learn how to bead has given me a path to reconnect to my ancestors and Indigenous culture. For the first time, I felt accepted into a circle of Indigenous peoples, without the shame of being judged for not knowing much about my own culture, or even feeling that my Indigeneity was being questioned. It led to a very welcoming and calm environment to participate and learn about an art form my ancestors likely participated in.
As a very White-passing Métis person, I often run into situations where I need to prove my Indigeneity or face people who seem to not believe my ancestral connections. The experience of beading has aided me in feeling more comfortable in my Indigenous identity. Part of this feeling of comfort and being at peace with my Indigenous identity has been sharing these art teachings with my mother, sister and a good friend who also happens to be disconnected from their Métis heritage.
Coming home during the winter break we all sat together in a circle, as I did when I first participated in a beading circle at the First Peoples House. The beading circle is an important aspect of Indigenous traditions, as it is a sacred representation of Indigenous spirituality, family, gatherings of people, meetings, songs and dances.2Pewewardy, C. “In Hirschfelder, A.” Indians 1790, 1995.
Being able to reconnect with my identity as an Indigenous person has allowed me to learn and incorporate Indigenous ideals into my everyday life as well as my research. The art of beading has given me the power to expand on my Indigenous understandings and the confidence to pursue similar learning opportunities. More specific to my research, it has given me the power to continue my work in a good way that is both respectful and meaningful to the communities I will be working with. This is a decolonizing method as often Indigenous research is conducted in an observational and exploratory way, rather than collaboration. This beading experience reinforces the need to work with my Indigenous participants and ensure that their needs and concerns are being met in the limits of any research project they are participating in or are the subjects of.
Even though there were brutal and violent attempts to sever our connection to the land, and take the ‘Indian out of the child’, I am proud to say that I am working to rebuild my Indigenous connection and modernize what being Indigenous means to me. It is through the means of my beading that this pursuit gained momentum and power and has encouraged me to continue my efforts in every aspect I can. The resilience of this ancestral art form that I have now regained access to has far greater impacts than its creative outlet, it has forever changed the way I will conduct research and the ways in which I will collaborate with not only Indigenous peoples, but any community I work with.
You can find more of Samantha’s beadwork on her Instagram at @gibson.girl.beads.
