Culture, Métis, Shop local
The adventure of Mélanie Gamache and her company, Borealis Beading, began in the winter of 2015, when she learned beading through books, workshops and courses. “It was immediately obvious to me that this was what I wanted to do. I totally immersed myself in the learning process.”
As a child, Mélanie Gamache had already participated in beading workshops at the Festival du Voyageur. “It already spoke to me at that time. I’m very interested in Métis and Aboriginal skills and culture. In fact, I have Métis roots myself.”
It wasn’t until 2016, however, that she decided to really embark on her entrepreneurial adventure. “At that time, I was asked to run workshops and everything followed quickly. I found that in my village of Sainte-Geneviève, there weren’t many activities that instilled Métis know-how, or even shared our history.”
“So as the transmission of know-how was something I was very interested in, I wanted to share my passion for beadwork around me. For the past year, the CDEM has been helping me with my marketing. In particular, they’ve supported me in creating business cards and posters.”
Today, the 40-year old offers beading workshops all year-round. But her approach to learning is unique.
Mélanie Gamache explains, “I don’t just want to teach the public about beading. I want to go beyond that. I want to teach them the history of the Métis people. I think it’s important for everyone to know the roots of our culture. It’s time to bring back our knowledge, to relearn our crafts and skills of the past.”
“I have a strong connection to this heritage, and for me it’s essential that people understand the history and the symbolism behind each creation. In the past, when these products were sold on the market, you could recognize their creator through the patterns in the beadwork. These are the kind of stories I like to pass on.”
Other workshops are offered at Borealis Beading, such as how to make tobacco bags, fire bags, leather moccasins, mittens, or even drawing book covers for which she also uses recycled materials such as jeans. She can also offer other workshops on demand.
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/BorealisBeading/
CDEM’s Bonjour Manitoba team was able to support this project with funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada and Travel Manitoba.
A visit to Manitoba means travelling through Treaty 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 territory and communities signatory to Treaties 6 and 10, the original lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anish-Ininiwak, Dakota, Dené, Iiniwak, and Nehethowuk and the homeland of the Métis Nation. Its ongoing existence is thanks to these ancestors and their present day relatives who continue to love and care for the land.
