The Bead Keeper
"The
mirror reflects more than my hands can feel.
Lines, edges, shadings, a weariness under the eyes, an awkward stance.
Yet, not reflected is a certain vibrancy --
a compassion and wisdom and wonder so many people rely on.
Only you, my beaded art doll,
capture the fullness of me as I age in place .
You embody changes I want to make, so I aptly name you…"
Yamka Wuti Kachina (Flowering Woman Spirit).
As I
sit here and prepare you for your future, you represent not just me, but
also my mother, my daughter, all the women of the past, present and future.
As the
sacred Bead Keeper for the women of our village, my job is to perform
the ceremonies and rituals in creating our precious beaded treasures.
I have been doing it for many years, and my daughter has grown up watching
me, just as I watched my mother. The beads need to be treated with respect,
honored, and when the object can no longer be repaired, carefully unstrung
and used to create something new. I have made many objects for our village
women, but you are very special. Just as my mother made my kachina for
my puberty rite, so I am making you for my daughter. When she comes of
age and goes through the Beadway Blessing, you will remind her of all
the things she has within her, and all the things she can call on as a
woman. You will be the central figure of her personal altar. I am honored
to be able to make you for her.
I remember
going through my rites, being painted with the white clay from the sacred
lake. I was so scared, and yet so alive, so aware of everything going
on around and in me. I felt so clean and vibrant as the white earth was
washed away, leaving me pink-cheeked and new under the full moon. Breathing
in the crisp air at dawn, filling my lungs all the way to the bottom with
the air of Wind Spirit, I felt like I could do anything. That feeling
is now a dear memory, my cheeks getting more wrinkled with every passing
season, my breath hard to catch at times. I now have wisdom and compassion
instead of youth. I can see simple things for the miracles they are --
an infant's laughter, the buds in spring, the stars at night. I take the
time to think before I speak, about if it will hurt someone or even if
it needs said at all. I have gone through enough trouble and turmoil of
my own to be able to empathize with others when they are not at their
best.
The men
have their kachinas, carved from wood and covered with white clay that
they paint bright colors. They have always seemed dull to me. I love the
bright colors of the beads that hold their color from generation to next,
the patience it takes to get them to go just so on one of our treasures.
The feel of the finished surface, hard yet giving, as your finger runs
over this detail or that as you hold a beaded kachina gives you more time
to think to consider what the person who made it was thinking. The kachina
my mother made for me reminds me of her, the lessons she taught me and
the life she hoped I would live. Some of those wishes came true, some
did not -- some of the unfulfilled wishes will go to you, to remind my
daugher that she will have chances I did not. I'm hoping that you, dear
doll, will remind my daughter of some of the lessons I have taught her
as she ages, so she will be able to give those lessons to her daughters.
We have such wisdom as women; I do not want to see it lost.
I have
given you a phoenix to remind my daughter that even when things are bad,
she can recreate herself and rise from the ashes. The bear is for the
strength to defned herself, her future, and her children. The butterfly
is for the wonder of life reinvented, flying on fragile wings.
The turtle
is to guide her home from wherever she may journey, as the turtles come
home from the sea. On your sides are corn and rain symbols, wishes for
plentiful gifts. The belt at your waist has feathers to help carry her
prayers above and sacred stones. The back of your head has the four colors
of our creator, Changing Woman: white shell, turquoise, abalone and jet.
I hope that like Changing Woman, my daughter will be able to change herself
with the seasons of her life, becoming whom she needs at that time.
The colors
swirl from one to another, to let the breath of life enter. The yellow
and blue on your face are for where we come from -- the North and West.
Your tablita headdress has more rain clouds and a rainbow bridge to help
your prayers reach the gods. The eye of wisdom is at the top. It has taken
me a very long time and some bad choices to learn to trust my wisdom --
I hope my daughter can learn from my mistakes and not repeat them!
You
are finished at last. I will have the holy man do his blessing as the
sun rises, and add my own rites and blessings at the appropriate times.
I have enjoyed making you, and pray that my daughter treasures and respects
you. You have made me focus on what I wish for my daughter's future, and
ponder what my mother wished for me. I know my daughter will have to make
her own choices, but I hope one day she realizes that she loves the beaded
treasures like I do, and will want to continue the work of my mother and
me. She has many things to learn before then, and so do I.
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Side Image
Back Image
Detailed Image
(rotation)
List of Materials
and Techniques Employed
Dimensions:
The doll measures 10" high, 3 7/8" across and
2 3/4" deep.
Construction
Techniques:
The doll form was created using a pattern from a simple doll with separate
legs and arms, with the torso elongated. I used cotton calico backed with
interfacing to create the doll, stuffing it firmly with polyester stuffing.
The skirt was beaded flat on calico backed with drawing paper, the edges
sewn together and then backed with chamois. The arms and headdress were
added after the skirt. The headdress was beaded on cotton calico with
drawing paper as backing. The pieces were sandwiched together with a piece
of juice carton plastic for firmness, and the edges were sewn together
over a length of thin cording.
Materials
List:
seed
beads, shell heishi, czech pressed glass daggers and a 4mm faceted round,
aragonite round beads, turquoise chips, 2 cabochons of unknown stone,
felt, cotton calico, interfacing, chamois, polyester stuffing, drawing
paper, cording, carton plastic, polyester and cotton threads.
Techniques:
Techniques applied: bead embroidery, using felt to raise the bear, turtle,
phoenix and butterfly, stacked stitches around the mouth and turtle cabochon,
simple fringe, chevron stitch for the butterfly wing overlays, simple
stringing for the belt and necklace.
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