My name is Tara, I'm 69 years old, and I am Métis. I grew up carrying that identity quietly — the way many of us do — learning its weight and its beauty slowly, over time.
Beadwork found me the way most meaningful things do: when I needed it. There is something about picking up a needle and thread, choosing each bead with intention, and watching a pattern emerge that feels like remembering something I never forgot. My mom never wanted to admit we were Metis, although my father had no such issues and everyone in the small town we were in knew it.
I started beading around 12 or 13 years old. I was living in Watson Lake, Yukon and there were no real Youth groups at the time. One of our school teachers, Mrs. Frank, decided to start a group for young girls to teach us cooking, sewing etc. (don't forget this was early 1970's) She brought in one of the Elders from the community, Mrs. Jack from Two-and-a-half-mile, to teach us beadwork. She was a beautiful old lady who had so much patience for us clumsy young women. She told us stories of her life before the coming of the White Man to that part of the country, and was like a Kookum (granny) to all of us.
She taught me all the basic beadwork stitches that I still use to this day. At the age of 13 I was designing and beading my own medallion pendants that I then sold to the tourists coming through on the Alaska Highway. I made me a bit of spending money, and honed my love for beading.
Every piece I create at Blue World Treasures carries a piece of that story. The Métis Sash pattern. The Red Dress. The Poppy. These aren't just designs — they are conversations with my heritage, with my community, and with everyone who wears them.
This March, I want to share that story more openly. Because these awareness dates — Two-Spirit Day, the Spring Equinox, Indigenous Languages Day — aren't just dates on a calendar to me. They are part of who I am.