Traditionally, beadworking knowledge was passed down generationally. Not everyone’s mother knew how to bead, but most people who wanted to learn had an auntie, family friend, or elder who would be willing and able to teach them. Due to widespread culture loss in Red River Metis communities, that’s no longer always the case. When I decided I wanted to learn to bead, I didn’t know anyone I could approach. Even if I’d had an auntie or cousin with the necessary skills, and the time to teach me, they wouldn’t have been accessible to me all the way out here in Banff.

This is hardly a new problem, and efforts have been made to solve it. Metis governments have done a lot of work on this front, and if you live in an area with an active Metis local, there’s a good chance they’re providing free or inexpensive beadwork classes you can join, if you’re a member. These are great resources, but they can’t help everyone, especially those of us who live further from a local, or outside the borders of the homeland.

I’ve previously used the internet to learn other skills: sewing, crochet, juggling, a bit of fiddle. These subjects all have hundreds of hours of videos, countless articles, and helpful how-tos covering a range of styles and skill levels, from a wide variety of creators. Not so for beadwork. There are bits and pieces at varying levels of quality, but very little of it is Metis-specific, and what does exist comes and goes too quickly to be reliable.

Given all of these constraints, I’ve personally found books to be the best source for Metis-specific beadwork knowledge. Unfortunately, the stores that sell them—GDI I’m looking at you—tend to be difficult to browse, and many of the resources they sell lack detailed product descriptions. I try to buy anything on the subject that might be useful, and have had varying levels of success. The following three books are excellent, and they cover a range of needs, from learning how to bead, to inspiration, and references, for more complicated projects…

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