It was standing room only at the NUSU Reflection Gallery at Nipissing University on Thursday, November 27 as members of the community gathered to celebrate the Lake Nipissing Beading Project (LNBP) and the next phase of its journey.
The Lake Nipissing Beading Project is a five-metre beaded reimagining of Lake Nipissing and its tributaries, created with 480 individually beaded pieces. Over the past five years, this collaborative initiative brought together members of Nipissing and Dokis First Nations, alongside individuals and communities from across Turtle Island, to bead portions of the lake and surrounding waterways. The LNBP collaboration stemmed from an existing partnership between Nipissing University, Dokis First Nation, Nipissing First Nation, and North Bay Museum, which was centered on rethinking museum repatriation and repair-work. The stunning map was on display at the gallery, with each square representing its own story.
The latest stage of the project marks a significant milestone: the development of a nation-to-nation stewardship agreement. Under this agreement, Nipissing First Nation and Dokis First Nation will steward and care for both the physical and digital versions of the beaded map. A stewardship circle will guide the next phase, determining where the map will travel, how it can be enriched with additional knowledge, and the ways it can serve as a resource for teaching and learning.
"Honouring Nishnaabeg knowledge, stewardship, and sovereignty remains central to the project," said Dr. Katrina Srigley, Professor of History at Nipissing University, and member of the Lake Nipissing Beading Project Collective. "This includes a commitment to create respectful processes and frameworks to ensure the beaded map's transition from the University to nation-to-nation stewardship happens in a good way."
The Lake Nipissing Beading Project continues to be a powerful example of community collaboration, cultural resurgence, and shared responsibility for the lands and waters that sustain us.
Members of the Lake Nipissing Beading Project collective include Carrie Allison, Glenna Beaucage, Ysabel Castle, Jane Commanda, Kirsten Greer, Katie Hemsworth, Joan McLeod Shabogesic, Cindy Peltier, Randy Restoule, Katrina Srigley, and Suzanne Whiteduck.
To learn more about the Lake Nipissing Beading Project visit: https://lakenipissingbeadingproject.com/.
