The Art of Indigenous Bead Jewelry Making
In the vast expanse of Birch Lake, Saskatchewan, a small business called Mahikan Designs has been making waves with its unique hand-crafted indigenous bead jewelry. Kaila Lefort, the owner and creator of the company, has been nominated as one of the 15 finalists in Canada Post’s Tales of Triumph contest, which celebrates small businesses in Canada. Her jewelry is a representation of her heritage and culture. She learned the art of beadwork from her mother and sister, and from there, kept practicing and experimenting with different designs.
The journey of Mahikan Designs
According to Lefort, it’s a vulnerable experience to apply for something you’re passionate about. Mahikan Designs started with a personal interest in beadwork and now has grown into a business venture representing indigenous culture and art. From sketching out each design to creating everything by hand, Lefort strives to make her pieces wearable for every day. With unique materials ranging from porcupine quills to deer antlers, the future looks bright for Mahikan Designs.
Lefort’s Winning Method
When asked about her process in creating her jewelry, Lefort shared that she doesn’t copy anything, and that she often takes inspiration from designs that she sees online. She likes to combine different designs and create something completely unique. Her goal is to design jewelry that people would feel comfortable wearing every day. Lefort also uses unique materials in her designs such as porcupine quills and deer antlers to make her pieces truly special.
Self-Taught and Proud
Learning the art of beadwork from her mother and sister, Lefort honed her skills through constant practice and experimentation. She searched for different online resources and taught herself how to create jewelry through video tutorials. Even though she’s happy with her jewelry business, Lefort continues to strive for excellence and still wants to improve her art, saying that her technique has improved, but it’s not precisely where she wants it to be. So, there is always room for improvement.
Expanding Indigenous Art Into The Marketplace
Indigenous art has been a part of Canada’s history and culture for as long as anyone can remember. It has been utilized for trade, as a form of expression, and even for ceremonial reasons. However, it wasn’t until recently that it had made its significant impact in the marketplace. Indigenous artists in Canada have experienced many disadvantages, and their artwork wasn’t being sold at the price it deserved. Things have changed, and initiatives keep coming up to support and empower indigenous artists.
According to a report from the Canada Council for the Art, Indigenous art is a growing market, and readiness on the market is also increasing. Indigenous artists have been experiencing a surge in commercial success, and small businesses like Mahikan Designs have been pioneering the way. In recognition of this change and to support small businesses in Canada, Canada Post had launched an annual contest called Tales of Triumph, which helps small enterprises by offering them a chance to win significant cash prizes.
Final Thoughts
Mahikan Designs’ unique indigenous art jewelry has captured the attention of many, including Canada Post. Lefort’s passion for designing and creating something that people can wear every day makes her business stand out. Her use of unique materials and self-taught techniques gives her jewelry a distinct style. Indigenous art has gained commercial success in the marketplace, and it’s high time that this deserving art form be celebrated and promoted more. The Tales of Triumph contest highlights small businesses in Canada and promotes them, and Mahikan Designs is one such business that has captured the imagination of the public.
Summary
Mahikan Designs, a small jewelry business from Birch Lake, Saskatchewan, has been recognized as one of the 15 finalists in Canada Post’s Tales of Triumph contest. Owner Kaila Lefort uses unique materials such as porcupine quills and deer antlers in her designs, which are inspired by her indigenous heritage. Lefort taught herself the art of beadwork through online resources and constant practice. Mahikan Designs is a representation of Lefort’s passion for designing and creating something unique and wearable every day. Canada’s indigenous art has been experiencing a surge in commercial success, and small businesses like Mahikan Designs have been pioneering the way.
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A Birch Lake, Saskatchewan company is one of 15 finalists in Canada Post’s Tales of Triumph contest.
Kaila Lefort, who creates and markets indigenous bead jewelry, told CTV News that she was honored to be on the list.
“It’s a very vulnerable thing to apply for something you’re so passionate about. It’s your little business, right? said the owner of Mahikan Designs.
“I think it’s great that Canada Post is recognizing small businesses and trying to help as much as they can. This year, there are a lot of really good contestants on the finalist panel. And I think each and every one of them would deserve to win.”
Lefort’s goal is to share their indigenous culture and art with the world.
She said she sketches out each design and creates everything by hand.
“I can always imagine things I want to do,” she said, saying she often sees things online that inspire her.
“I don’t copy anything. I always do my own thing. 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 I try to combine them all.”
One of the goals she has for any piece she creates is to design something that can be worn every day.
“I try to make my pieces wearable, so they’re not too big, so people feel comfortable wearing them every day.”
He also uses unique materials in his designs.
“I use porcupine quills and deer antlers, I just cut deer antlers into my pieces. I take the porcupine quills and harvest them myself and prepare them. And for the deer antlers we found them ourselves, ”he said.
She said that beading was something she learned from her mother and sister.
“From there, I kept practicing and trying different designs,” Lefort said.
“I searched online for different videos and was also self-taught that way.”
While she’s happy with the business, Lefort said there are still a few things she’d like to improve.
“I think my trinket has definitely improved, but it’s not exactly where I want it to be. So there is always room for improvement. So I’m still working on it.”
https://www.iheartradio.ca/ctv-news-content/sask-small-business-makes-final-list-for-national-tales-of-triumph-contest-1.19765476
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