Inspired Natives Award - Jeweler and Beadworker Nominees

Eighth Generation has been accepting nominations for three Inspired Natives Awards over the past month. The call for nominations closes today by end of day, so there is still a chance to nominate yourself or your favorite Indigenous artist. Meanwhile, we're featuring nominees who make bling!

Each Inspired Natives Award is $2,500 in unrestricted funds for an Indigenous artist and provided by 5% of blanket sale profits. This award represents one piece of our broad-based effort to be stewards of our Native artist community. It is also distributed in support with our friends at The Evergreen State College Longhouse and The Evergreen State College Foundation.

 

ROUND 3 - Beadworkers & Jewelers

Click on the names of the artists to visit their pages!

 

Amber Waboose

Amber is an Ojibwe/Jamaican/Cree artist who makes jewelry like earrings. Much of her work uses porcupine quills, wiigwaas (birch bark) and sweetgrass.

     

   

   

    

Jessica Towns-Camara

Jessica is an Alutiiq artist who owns Bougie Alutiiq, a contemporary Alaskan Native Jewelry shop that uses ancestral inspiration to create a connection for modern Indigenous people. She also is a guiding voice behind PNW Alutiiq Culture Camp.

   

    

     

    

Summer Yahbay-Peters

Summer is a contemporary Ojibwe bead artist. Her work includes ballet shoes, necklaces and "AnishinaaBabe Dolls."

      

   

    

      

Warren Mountain

Warren or "Nigig" is an Anishinaabe Beadwork Artist with a shop called WXMOUNTAIN. Warren beads earrings and works on vintage designer products like handbags.

     

   

    

    

Steve Wikviya LaRance

Steve (Hopi-Assiniboine) is an award-winning artist who works with metals. Specifically, he uses a technique called tufa-casting, where he hand-carves designs into a tufa stone to be used as a mold for molten silver or gold. Marian Denipah (Navajo-Ohkay Owingeh), Steve's wife, and their son, Cree, are also master metalsmiths.

     

    

   

   

Jeanette Henry

Jeanette is a Mi’gmaq/Mohawk artist from Listuguj, QC in Canada. Her art includes beadwork, quillwork and basket weaving.

     

    

   

    

Milford Calamity

Milford is a self-taught Navajo silversmith who works with sterling silver, copper, gold, turquoise and exotic stones. His work incorporates contemporary art with traditional Navajo silversmith techniques.

    

 

    

    

    

Alan Groves

Alan is a Northern Ute and Hopi beadwork and quillwork artist. He recently collaborated with other artists to start Turtle Island Art Collective, with the mission to empower Indigenous artists in the digital world and to inspire Indigenous youth through art.

    

   

    

     

Stephanie Hebert

Stephanie Hebert (Muise) is a beadwork artist who created the Talon Beading Company in 2016. Stephanie does all sorts commissioned work, though her wildlife pieces typically educate the world about conservation.

     

    

    

    

Jaymie Campbell

Jaymie Campbell is an Anishinaabe artist from Curve Lake First Nation in Ontario. Her company, White Otter Design Co, was created as a way to connect with her ancestry, carry on traditional art practices and use her creativity as an outlet to rest and heal. Her products use authentic materials often sourced locally from elders.

     

   

   

    

Elias Jade Not Afraid

Elias is an Apsaalooke self taught artist who specializes in beadwork. He brings personal experiences and methods of the past into his work with modern designs for clothing and accessories.

     

   

    

     

Lor Brand

Lor Brand is a Métis beadworker who works to be closer to culture, connect with community, and increase positive Indigenous visibility in all spaces. Lor also connects non-Indigenous folks to Indigenous culture in a positive way through selling beadwork and teaching workshops.

     

    

    

    

Kaisha Zaste

Kaisha is a Tribal Member To Turtle Mountain Chippewa and descendent to Salish Kootenai. She says that although her beadwork journey has just begun, beading allows her to connect with her culture and learn about her identity.

     

    

     

    

Phinney Brown

Phinney is a Tri-Cities, Washington based artist of Coeur D'Alene descent who is proactive in promoting Native representation in the local art scene. Her handmade work includes beaded jewelry and moccasins.

    

    

    

    

Molina Parker

Molina is an Oglala Lakota woman from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Molina says she has loved making beaded jewelry since she was very young and is even a third generation beader in her family.

     

     

    

    

Robyn Pebeahsy

Robyn is a Yakama and Comanche who makes beaded jewelry and designs for products like stickers. A lot of her work includes Dentalium shells.

     

    

    

    

Mona Cliff

Mona (A'niiih/Assinaboine) is an artist whose traverses traditional Indigenous knowledge systems. She says she aims to explore how Indigenous  art/knowledge connects our understanding of our unique place in the universe. The beaded gas mask below is a reflection of our past, current global statues, and collective futures.

     

    

    

    

Hannah Smith

Hannah is an artist part of the White Earth Nation who specializes in beadwork, Ojibwe floral art and eyeglass/sunglass chains. Her work is described as a gentle mix of traditional woodlands and Indigenous futurism designs.

    

   

    

    

Porfidia

Porfidia is an artist from the Picuris Pueblo Tribe who created the company Modern Ancient Design to remember the interconnectedness to each other and our Earth. Products are designed, created and shipped with renewable, reclaimed and recycled materials whenever possible. The earrings below spell "Love" in Braille!