In a classroom at Kenai Peninsula College, instructor Sondra Shaginoff-Stuart tells a group of six students about her experiences with Native beadwork.
The class will learn beading techniques in a similar way to how Shaginoff-Stuart was taught. She learned how to bead from her aunt Katherine Wade, the clan grandmother of the Chickaloon Native Village.
“She taught me beading when I had curiosity about trying to get back to my culture, learning about my language," Shaginoff-Stuart said. "She formed learning language around learning about beading. She would talk to me at her breakfast table, she set the tone of thinking good for who you’re making it for, even if it’s for yourself.”
After a round of classroom introduction, students begin learning the fundamentals of threading and knotting by creating a basic necklace. A table in the center of the classroom displays what’s to come, from brick stitch earrings to beaded flower patterns on gloves.
Students can work with a variety of bead types, from bone beads to locally sourced devil’s club. There are numerous colors to choose from, each with their own cultural significance.
“When you bead, you got to always think good," Shaginoff-Stuart said. "You have to think good in your mind because whatever you’re making, you’re putting that energy into it. It’s just like cooking.”
Brittany Beltz is a student of the course who’s always had an interest in Native beadwork. She was briefly taught the tradition as a child, but didn’t consider relearning it until marrying a Native man and having children.
“I’ve always been kind of crafty and always loved learning new things about the state that I’ve now made my home," Beltz said. "It’s just being able to relate to my kids better, and be able to teach them the way I was taught. Whether it's in a class or from a family setting, it’s a sense of community.”
Beltz says the course provides first-hand experience that can’t be taught from an online video. Like Beltz, other students have ties to Native culture.
Although she’s taught several Alaska Native cultural skill courses at the college, this is the first time Shaginoff-Stuart has ever taught beading in a classroom setting. She hopes the students will share their new skills with others to keep the Native tradition alive.
“My Aunt Katie always told me, ‘I’m sharing this with you, and I want you to then share it with someone else so it continues on,’" Shaginoff-Stuart said. "I’ve always thought about whatever I have learned, I want to share it with the next person, because you never know where that’s going to lead to. For me, learning about beads is always healing, it’s learning about yourself, and also coming together as a community.”
Registration for the three-week long Native beadwork traditions course is still open. For more information about the course or to register, contact Kenai Peninsula College.
