Métis sash fringe earrings made by Christine Dunbar. (Submitted by Christine Dunbar)
Christine Dunbar, 24, is a Métis beader from Yellowknife. She’s currently going to school in Lethbridge, where she started beading last October by herself. Starting with fringe earrings, she gifted them to friends and family. Recently she’s started flat stitching with the help of YouTube videos.
“I was looking on Instagram, and I saw so much beadwork… I just really want to learn.”
Getting her inspiration from nature, she incorporates natural elements in her beadwork. Her social media handle, Auntie Beading, stems from the Indigenous community nickname that carries a lot of endearment, as well as joking connotations.
“ With Indigenous culture, you know, everyone’s calling each other auntie. I thought it was a funny name at first, because I wasn’t serious with the beading page. I think it just has a good ring to it.”
Dunbar was first approached by Ramble and Ride organizers to lead a beading workshop, then at the Gallery of the Midnight Sun, at Bobby Drygreeses camp in Dettah for Ecology North and on her campus with other residents.
Poppies made by Christine Dunbar. (Submitted by Christine Dunbar)
“It also helps other Indigenous people become closer to their culture. It’s something that I wish I had when I first started beading because I didn’t have anyone really that I could reach out to. My mom and her siblings, they never really did any of that.”
Dunbar likes teaching those who want to learn and enjoys meeting new people through beading. She enjoys the creativity involved with beading, especially with flat stitching. With flat stitching, there’s no limit at what can be made such as flowers and movie characters.
“You can literally make anything that you want…I can just make a lot of ideas come to life. I like surprising myself with every new creation that I make, it gets me out of my comfort zone.”
