Artist Profile | Tessa Sayers

We are so excited to introduce you to our newest talented artist, Tessa Sayers, who is the owner and designer of a lifestyle brand called Soul Curiosity.

She is Ojibwe, Cree, and Metis, and I met her a year ago in Portland. She was playing with the idea of launching her own business, and we are so glad she did!

We sat down with her to chat a bit more about how she got started, and what inspires her the most.

Designer Profile | Candace Halcro

Designer Candace Halcro is a Plains Cree/Métis from Saskatchewan, Canada. With her company BrownBeaded, she has been catching the eye of fashion lovers worldwide with her fashion-forward one-of-a-kind beaded pieces, such as her ultra-cool beaded sunglasses.

But the international attention didn't happen overnight.

In her hometown region, beadwork and other local Indigenous traditions are a central aspect of the visual culture.

Video | Metis Beading

Master beading artist Briony Goddard shares her approach and techniques of traditional Metis beading.

ELLE France Includes Metis Artist Candace Halcro

Candace Halcro was recently featured in ELLE France's June 7, 2012 issue.

Halcro is Metis Aboriginal from Saskatchewan, Canada.

She says her designs are rooted in Native American tradition but not confined to it.

You can see more of Halcro's work by clicking here, or check out the Elle spread by clicking below.

Aboriginal Business Woman of the Year

It's always cool to see Native people succeeding - and here is a story about a Metis woman who started up a fashion boutique in 2007. It has been a great success, featuring and selling only Canadian-made clothing and accessories by emerging designers - very cool! She's an inspiration for me as I look to launch the Beyond Buckskin Boutique in just a couple weeks! Click below to read her story and check out her site.

Some History | Metis Textiles

I came across this article on the University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History about Metis Textiles :

French and Scottish fur traders arrived at Hudson’s Bay in the 17th century, trapping across the drainage basin of the bay and beyond.

Some settled and married Native women. Their descendants came to be known as the Métis.