Tāpis
A love letter to our Dog Kin
September 10 – November 2, 2024
Conceived by Nehiyaw and Michif knowledge keeper, Elder-in-training, and multi-disciplinary artist Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐏᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau, Tāpis: A love letter to our Dog Kin exhibits nine intricately beaded dog blankets. Over the course of a 20-week online residency led by Adele, five Indigenous beaders whose communities traditionally used Tāpis, learned how to create this important piece of regalia to honour their Dog Kin. This exhibition seeks to share the history of Tāpis and recognize the significant responsibility these beaders have undertaken to rebuild chains of knowledge that were damaged by colonialism and the residential school system.
Originating from the Métis, Northern Cree, and Dene communities, ‘li Tāpis’ (small carpet) named by the French Michif and known as ‘tuppies’ by the English and Scottish Michif, are dog blanket regalia created to celebrate dogs. Tāpis are made from wool and embellished with intricate beadwork, silk embroidery, moose or caribou hair tufting, outlined with fringes made of ribbon or yarn and adorned with bells. Showing respect for sled dogs, Tāpis were draped over the backs of dogs.
The blankets served many purposes in the Northern prairies: they were used to keep the dogs warm, to announce the arrival of a dog team into a village, and to identify people at a distance. This highly skilled work was often undertaken by women and was a point of pride. Adele says “dogs are ancestral relatives and integral to our cultural identity. The care for, and kinship with dogs was, and still is, crucial for our survival. They helped us be strong and independent. This sacred relationship was a vital part of how we took care of ourselves and exerted our sovereignty.” Traditional knowledge about Tāpis nearly disappeared over time due to displacement from traditional homelands, the residential school system, and the violence committed against Indigenous dog breeds by the RCMP and other Canadian government officials.
Before Adele shared her life with a Malamute, an Indigenous dog from the Inuit, she was unaware of Tāpis and the important role Indigenous dogs played in her ancestors’ daily lives. After a decade-long interest in reclaiming this regalia for her community, she found an article about a group making Tāpis in the Yukon. Adele reached out to beader Velma Olsen, starting a conversation that resulted in a mentoriship.
Velma Olsen is an internationally exhibited beader of Northern Tutchone, Han, and G’wichen descent. She grew up in the small community of Mayo, Yukon, and is of the Wolf Clan from the First Nation of Na Cho Nyak Dun. Velma accepted Adele’s request and with the support of a First Peoples Cultural Council Mentorship grant, Velma and Adele worked together online for a year. Using materials passed down through four generations of matriarchs of her family, Adele spent over 500 hours making a Tāpis for her Malamute Nicimos.
Through the process of working with Velma and regain this traditional knowledge, Adele realized that some of that knowledge has been lost and it made her even more dedicated to sharing the knowledge that persists. Not just about re-gaining, but also about re-building. “This means learning and allowing for change that is respectful and responsible. The knowledge why our Ancestors did something a certain way is powerful and it connects us to them. It makes everything stronger. In this way, I hope to enrich the cultural life of mentees and our communities by returning and spreading this traditional knowledge.”
During her second online residency, Adele guided five beadworkers through the labour-intensive process of creating their own bespoke Tāpis for their dogs. “It was my dream to share the knowledge gifted to me by my mentor, Velma Olsen, with my kin and to create more Indigenous knowledge keepers. I will continue to resist colonial erasure and make this hard-earned knowledge accessible to the communities that had these traditions stolen from them.” For each of the participants in this cohort, honouring their “more than human kin” by reclaiming the tradition of Tāpis is a powerful act of cultural resistance.
Artists: Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐏᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau, Debbie Dillon, Jaimy Fischer, Vicki Fraser, Carrie Moran McCleary, Velma Olsen, and Red (aka Heidi Coltman)
Exhibition Reception: Sunday, September 15, 2024 from 2 – 4 p.m.
Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐏᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau is a disabled Nehiyaw and Michif multi-disciplinary artist who creates bespoke works for galleries, private collections and public art commissions. Having over 40 years of lived experience in her culture, she is a recognized knowledge keeper and a current Elder in Training.
She grounds her artwork in story, engaging audiences by weaving connection to cultural, social and environmental issues. It was the way her family taught her to learn and share knowledge. Displaced from her family’s traditional territory of Northern Saskatchewan, Adele grew up with the Dakelh (Carrier) people of British Columbia in Prince George, and Fraser Lake. Moving away from the traditions of her adopted family while journeying towards those of her biological family. She carves cedar, beads contemporary and traditional Métis and plains style beadwork, creates hide
textiles and digital art. Adele completed the Reconciliation Carving program at Langara, apprenticed with Master carver Xwalacktun of Squamish Nation, and holds diplomas in both Fine Art and Graphic Design. In 2019, she finished a hide tanning residency with Fern and Roe and continues to mentor upcoming hide tanners.
“My work is about stories and sharing awe through detail. We are the stories we hear and tell each other, this is our world. Through story we find connection, and relation to one another’s experiences.” This is my language, these are my stories.” Kininaskometin/Maarsii (thank you), ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐃᐢᑵᐤ
Debbie Dillon is a self-taught Inuvialuk artist from Inuvik in the Northwest Territories. She comes from a diverse background of Inuvialuit (Inuit), Gwich’in, Cree and Metis heritage that is represented in her unique and original designs. Her inspiration comes from the traditional art and clothing her ancestors created and incorporating modern day techniques and materials. Her beading has instilled in her a desire for creativity, taught her patience, and has been very therapeutic in her journey of learning and healing though culture.
Her mediums consist mainly of beads with moose hide, leather, porcupine quills and antler. Her passion for creating began in 2014 and has ignited an enthusiasm to learn traditional and modern arts. Through workshops she has learned to make beaded moccasins, traditional snowshoes, fur hats and mitts, tufted earrings, quillwork earrings, mini-Metis sashes and sealskin broches.
Most recently, she was selected to be part of a cohort to create traditional Tāpis (dog blankets). She dedicates this blanket to her great-grandfather Andrew Kunnizzi. His dog team was a lifeline for transportation for his family, food, and supplies and was part of the historic re-make of the Dawson Patrol. Her blanket represents the Arctic Rose that is commonly found in the North. She plans to carry on her teachings with others who may be interested in revitalizing the traditional Tāpis.
Jaimy Fischer of the Métis Nation resides as an uninvited guest on the lands of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. She has always held an innate curiosity about the land and lifeworlds around her, deeply engaged in learning across multiple disciplines, practices, and modalities. Creating beadwork has connected her to her ancestors, community, and homeland; it is intrinsic to her Michif heritage, renowned for intricate flower beadwork, symbolizing her people’s cultural legacy as “the flower beadwork people.” Jaimy’s work features prairie flowers like the crocus and rose, reflecting her ties to the Red River Settlement – the birthplace of the Métis Nation.
”I joined the project as a transportation researcher and budding artist, drawn to the Tāpis as a representation of traditional forms of Indigenous mobility and a deep love for canine kin. The residency has linked me to my culture, community, and inspired a passion for blending creative expression, history, and education. My Tāpis design reflects flowers native to Manitoba, honouring my Michif roots. I put tobacco down when this project began to seek clarity and guidance in the work; my creation then emerged from dreamings and imaginings that flowed through me, guided in part by Pepper, my constant companion, and the matriarchs in my lineage, including my great great grandmother Domithilde Huppé, 3rd great grandmothers Isabelle St-Germain and Catherine Perreault, 4th great grandmothers Henriette Landry, Joséphe Primeau, Joséphe Cyr, and Catherine Grouette, and my aunties and heroines of the Resistance Margeurite Caron (née Dumas) and Christine Pilon (née Dumas). This project fulfills a long-held desire to manifest a realization of my artistic vision through blood memory, ancestral guidance, and the land.
Vicki Fraser is a Metís artist, born in Prince George and raised in the Greater Vancouver area. She is grateful to have been taught how to bead by Lisa Shepherd, and has been beading for ten years. Her work can be seen on many websites, on book covers, and as part of a large art installation. For Vicki, beadwork is a cultural lifeline, a way to connect to and honour her ancestors, and a decolonization practice. She has taught and mentored many new beaders, and really loves to see their work coming together. The life and energy that is palpable in all beadwork is very meaningful and special to her, everyone’s is different and beautiful.
“Learning to make a Tāpis was important to me, so I jumped at the chance to take part in the residency. Dogs have always had a special place in my heart, and to have the opportunity to blend my desire for cultural teachings with my love for dogs was an incredible opportunity. My design was inspired by my love for the women in my family who have been with me on the journey of reconnecting with our culture, and my own sweet dog who has been a dream come true for me. My mom liked to use three little flowers as her beadwork signature, and I included them in my design as a way to honour her. Colours and other design elements were chosen with my sisters, nieces, and Grandmothers in mind. Swooping, curling vines are signatures of my own beadwork. I was also very inspired by cherry blossom season. They are a clear indication of spring, and my dog was born in the spring as well. I hope people can feel the love and care that went into the design and construction of this Tāpis – every stitch, every bead.”
Carrie Moran McCleary
“My tuppie is the result of the survival of generations of Indigenous beliefs, art, and community values. Beading, honoring our designs and the mentorship we have experienced is an act of defiance to the United States and Canadian Governments. We have survived and we are reclaiming the tradition of creating beautiful items that honor our dogs and the folks driving them. As Native women we spend most of our time caring for and shielding our families from harm. It is no surprise we create these blankets to bring warmth and protection to the animals that serve us. I’m very grateful I was able to participate in this moment of sisterhood, which created a bond that will last a lifetime. I will take their knowledge and heart felt kindnesses with me when I am able to bring these teachings to my community here in Montana. Miigwetch and love to my mentors Adele and Velma, and my tuppie sisters Vicki, Jaimy, Debbie, and Red. Aho to my dog Zwei’s dad Jeffery Mussetter as well.”
Velma Olsen, Wolf Clan, embodies a rich tapestry of Northern Tutchone, Han, Gwich’in and Swedish heritage. Raised in the close-knit community of Mayo Yukon, she recently returned to her hometown with her two children after three decades living in Whitehorse. She comes from a matriarchal family and her roots run deep in the North, tracing back to Aklavik, North West Territories, and Selkirk, Yukon on her maternal side, 12 Mile, Yukon and Leksand, Sweden on her paternal side. As a proud member of the First Nation of NaCho Nyak Dun (Big River People), she cherishes her cultural identity.
Growing up, Velma admired her mother and grandmother’s skill in beading and sewing as they crafted exquisite slippers and moccasins for loved ones and for sale. In 2015, her journey into beadwork began when she fashioned a First Nations Graduation dress for her oldest child. Subsequently, she joined a collective of artists tasked with creating dog blankets for a Yukon Quest dog team, a tribute to First Nations’ History.
As she nears the completion of her fourth dog blanket project, Velma reflects on the scarcity of documented history surrounding this cherished art form. This endeavour resonated deeply with Velma. Throughout her life, she has cherished the companionship of dogs, though she has never owned working dogs. Delving into her ancestry, she discovered that her grandparents relied solely on dogs for travel and hunting in the North during the winter months. Moreover, she recognizes the gradual fading of traditional beadwork and art which once bound generations together. Velma is inspired to work alongside her fellow First Nations artists dedicated to reviving these ancestral arts, one bead at a time. While finding the words to express herself may pose challenges, her contributions through art speak volumes.