Women’s Power
I have always been inspired by the role of Haudenosaunee women in wampum making. From expert beadmakers to storytellers who transmit the legacy of wampum itself, women are integral to this cultural tradition. Today, this legacy continues, and women wampum makers and holders remind us of women’s authority within Haudenosaunee life.
Considering the violence much of this collection signifies, I decided to make an expressionistic wampum belt dress to represent the power of Haudenosaunee women and Indigenous women more broadly. It is not that we are weak or powerless–we are targeted by systems made to eradicate us.
miskobagizi 