Canadian Dreams Come True: A Saskatchewan Small Business Nominated for National ‘Tales of Triumph’ Award!

How Kaila Lefort’s Mahikan Designs is leaving her mark on the Canadian Design Scene

Kaila Lefort’s indigenous beadwork jewelry designs have been creating quite a buzz in the Canadian artisan community. Her company, Mahikan Designs, is one of the 15 finalists in the Canada Post’s Tales of Triumph contest, honing her company’s mission to share Indigenous culture and art with the world. In a recent interview with CTV News, she talks about her inspiration, process, and dedication to her craft.

Inspiration and Process

Lefort is a true artist who sketches out every design and creates it all by hand. She uses her observations and experiences to create beautiful, wearable pieces of jewelry that honor her indigenous roots. According to her, “I always can picture things that I want to make. I don’t copy anything. I always make things my own. But I’ll take three different designs and say I like this piece of that one. I like this part of this one and this one and try to combine them all.”

One of her goals is to design something that can be worn every day, ensuring her pieces are not too large but comfortable and wearable. Her unique process involves using porcupine quills and deer antlers, the latter she just cuts up into pieces that compact onto her work. She takes the porcupine quills and harvests them herself and preps them. For the deer antlers, they find them themselves, according to her.

More about Mahikan Designs

Mahikan Designs was established in Birch Lake, Saskatchewan, producing jewelry and other pieces that exemplify Lefort’s indigenous beadwork. The company is being noticed by the artisan community, leading to reaching the finalist stage in Canada Post’s Tales of Triumph contest. The contest aims to recognize small businesses and offer assistance wherever possible.

Lefort, who’s a proud Indigenous woman, learned beading from her mother and sister. She kept practicing and trying different designs, eventually self-taught that way. She said that she figures once she’s done and the piece looks good to her, she has that “happy feel.”

The Path Forward

According to Lefort, while she is happy with the business, there are still things to improve upon. She’s very determined to hone in on her craft, though, saying, “I think my beading has definitely improved, but it’s not exactly where I want it to be. So there’s always room for improvement. So I’m still working on it.”

Additional Piece

Indigenous beading has an interesting history in the lives of Indigenous women. The art was a common practice in North America long before the European settlers arrived, as Indigenous people adorned themselves with beads sewn on animal hides, bark, or other materials. According to historical records, the Indigenous people made beaded objects for both practical and artistic reasons, including clothing, accessories, and beadwork on cradle boards. In some societies, the introduction of trade beads expanded the artistic possibilities of beadwork.

However, indigenous beadworking struggled after European contact as new materials used, like silk thread, needles, and new bead sizes, were introduced in mass quantities, which displaced indigenous beadwork. This caused a shift in the value and importance of beadwork, leading to its eventual dismissal and deprioritization.

But Indigenous beading has experienced a renewed interest in recent years. People take interest in understanding the methods, techniques, and patterns used by the indigenous members of the art form, honoring their craft and spirit of creativity.

This resurgence in the interest of Indigenous beadwork is grounded in a renewed appreciation for the richness and diversity of Indigenous cultures. Indigenous people have retained a great deal of their traditions, often through a spirit of resistance to colonialism that sought to erase their cultures. Today, artists like Kaila Lefort, through their use of knowledge, traditional materials, and designs, are extending the long history of Indigenous beadworking, keeping it alive and relevant for current and future generations.

Summary

Kaila Lefort’s company, Mahikan Designs, is among the finalists in Canada Post’s Tales of Triumph contest, recognizing small businesses and offering assistance wherever possible. Her indigenous beadwork jewelry designs have been drawing attention for their beauty and wearability. Lefort sketches each design and creates it all by hand, drawing inspiration through a combination of different designs and her indigenous roots. Her use of porcupine quills and deer antlers in her designs are unique from the norm. She received informal training in beadwork from her mother and sister and uses the self-taught method to improve her craft continually. Her resurgence in the interest of Indigenous beadwork is a testament to the rich diversity of Indigenous cultures and their immense talent in the art and craftsmanship.

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https://beta.ctvnews.ca/local/saskatoon/2023/6/10/1_6435925.amp.html
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