If you are looking for a safe space to gather and enjoy the company of other people who love beading, the Beading Circle will be hosted throughout upcoming months at the Peace River Library.
“I believe this is our third year of the Beading Circle through our partnership with the library and the interagency,” says Elder Priscilla Lalonde.
“People come, bring their own supplies, we sit down together and we start talking about different types of beading, share knowledge and help one another,” she adds.
Lalonde says it’s a great chance for people to socialize, learn new beading techniques, make new friends, and have a great outlet from everyday stresses and life.
The Beading Circle is meant to be a place for people to gather and bead socially. It is not a structured course, but a space for beaders of all abilities to visit, bead, and share time and stories with each another.
“Beading has been around since before Europeans came, we would make our own beads with clay or bone,” says Lalonde.
“It’s how we used to dress, honour ourselves, and how we are unique as a culture in what we wore,” she adds. “Our jackets and outfits were usually embellished with different bones and beads and porcupine quills. When Europeans came, we started to trade, and they had glass beads, so we would use the glass beads and ribbons.”
The Beading Circle is held annually from January until June, with a break throughout summer, and from September until December. The classes for the next three months will be held every other Saturday, on Jan. 10 and Jan. 24, Feb. 7 and Feb. 21, and March 7 and March 21. Each date the circle will commence at 12:30 p.m. and will be held until 4:30 p.m.
“If people have an interest in learning to bead or they want to gather with like-minded people, share stories with each other,” says Lalonde.
“That’s actually the fun part; we usually have tea and cookies and sit around and talk and laugh and share stories. There’s a companionship about it that feels really good. There’s actually research that says that events like this can be very stress relieving and help reduce some of the tension people may be feeling.”
If you are new to beading, have no fear! Elder Priscilla says she has made up kits for purchase that will allow new people to make a red dress pin, orange shirt pin, or beaded earrings for $10.
“People come up with some great creative ways of doing different techniques, there’s always something to learn,” she says.
The Beading Circle is sponsored by Aspenroad Resources, Peace River Municipal Library, and Peace River Aboriginal Interagency Committee.
If you are interested in attending or would like more information, please contact Elder Priscilla Lalonde at (780) 523-0123. You can also pre-register by going to the Peace River Municipal library website at prmlibrary.ab.ca.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter