During the fur trade period, Métis people were nomadic and couldn't carry things with them so they wore their art. One of the things they wore was their beadwork, proudly beaded by their loved ones. Beaded clothing items were used as a way to identify which nation the person belonged to because different nations had different beadwork styles and patterns unique to their nation. During the fur trade, beadwork became a commonly traded and sought after item. As such, métis beadworkers would incorporate an infinity symbol, similar to the one seen in these earrings, somewhere within their beadwork as a sort of trademark. Nowadays these hidden infinity symbols help us identify Metis artwork, and can also lead to identifying which Michif family it came from.

With this history in mind, Margaret states that “these earrings showcase our resilience throughout history. I want these earrings to scream my indigeneity and to serve as a reminder that I should take up space within any colonial setting.” Additionally, these earrings serve as a reminder of the interconnectedness and relationship between the land and the Michif people.

“I wanted to use bison teeth with this pattern as a nod to the relationship our communities had with the bison, and to honour that kinship. Around the time of Manitoba being founded, the Canadian government encouraged hunting the bison into extinction for the sole purpose of eradicating Indigenous people through starvation. They knew how much we relied on bison for survival, and knew that their extinction would also mean our extinction. The teeth serve as a reminder that we will never be erased.”

“We, as a people, pride ourselves in our sense of community and these earrings showcase that interconnectedness.”

Just like the bison, we are still here and continue to thrive.