Kaija Heitland
“My People are Blueberry People”
Mixed media
Necklace 8cm x 18cm with 60cm strap Earings 7cm x 17
$1,300
Tansì! I am a proud and active member of the Cowichan Valley Métis Community. A practitioner of beadwork and quillwork I adapt traditional techniques to reflect my diverse background. Honouring both my Métis and Scandinavian ancestry, I hope that my work encourages dialogue surrounding land-based practices, personal reclamation and ideas about Indigenous identity.
I wanted to celebrate the Blueberry for all its contributions to our Métis culture, and all Indigenous Peoples. Blueberries have been, and still are a central food source and community binder for our people. They encourage reinforcing bonds through their harvest. Through their preparation and preservation, they help to safeguard our traditional knowledge and land-based practices, and through their lore and stories, they help to preserve language and reclamation of our identity.
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