For attendees of the Indigenous Student Collective’s beadworking classes, the Native American art form holds many meanings and serves several purposes.
Holly Byers beads to maintain her sobriety, while Moriah Beck and Marcia Norton, with Wichita State’s Department of Biological Sciences, bead to explore and enjoy new crafts together. Wichita State students Araylius Coronado and Destiny Summers bead to reconnect with their heritage, whereas soon-to-be graduate Lisa Oldham uses the medium as a form of Indigenous advocacy.
Regardless of why attendees of last week’s ISC beadwork class chose to participate in the cultural craft, they all came together and left with the same results — a unique spiral stitch bracelet, taught by local beadworker Michelle Conine, and a newfound sense of community.
“I always tell people, if you can count to four, you can do this bracelet, because it’s just basically counting to four,” Conine said.
Conine, in collaboration with the Indigenous Student Collective, concluded a four-class beading series last week in which WSU students, faculty, staff and community members were invited to learn and create their own beaded masterpieces. From an overhead document camera, Conine — who recently retired as the education coordinator at the Mid-America All-Indian Museum — led participants through the knots, stitches and strategies required to reproduce their own spiral stitch bracelets.
“This is the way I taught at the museum during COVID,” Conine said. “ … This is the easiest way to show — see my hands doing it.”
Beadwork has been a part of Conine’s life for more than 40 years. She took up the traditional craft decades ago, before her wedding, so that she could adorn her dress with beaded Native American elements. Now, the descendant of the Shawnee, Delaware and Cherokee tribes regularly leads classes in and around Wichita.
“I bead all the time,” Conine said. “ … I’m involved in my Shawnee tribe, so I try to do beadwork that represents it. It’s something I enjoy.”
The appreciation for beadwork was shared by students Coronado and Summers, who also attended the event. They said the ISC classes offered them a new way to connect with Native American peers in a welcoming, communal space.
“This isn’t my first time beading, but I wanted to get a sense of heritage,” Summers said.
Byers is also an avid beader. A member of the Wichita community and a sustainable horticulture student at Unity Environmental University, she takes every opportunity to participate in beadworking events, especially after the practice and her subsequent connections with the Wichita Native American community saved her life.
“(Beading) just was the opportunity to connect with individuals in the community that would support my sobriety,” said Byers, who is of Choctaw and Chickasaw heritage. “… I’m grateful — grateful for the community that was there to help.”
In June, Byers will celebrate two years of both sobriety and beading. She encouraged others to attend events like those hosted by ISC and engage with members of a shared community.
“Find where you can be your true self in a community that accepts you,” Byers said. “Community is the medicine.”
According to Conine, ISC will host more beading and crafting events in the future. Information about the group, as well as upcoming events, can be found on the organization’s Linktree.
