'We are still here': Mi'kmaq bead artist contributed to courtroom eagle feathers

Some of us would think of it as a feather in our cap to be commissioned to do artwork for provincial courtrooms, but Mi'kmaq bead artist Carrie Lynn Brake isn't one to boast.

Ask her about the design and bead work for eagle feathers for the N.L. court system, and Brake will tell you she was honoured and overwhelmed by the opportunity.

The feathers were introduced to provincial courts in January as an alternative for anyone wanting to take an affirmation or oath using an eagle feather instead of a Bible.

The eagle is considered sacred in some Indigenous cultures, and feathers are often used in traditional ceremonies.

"I'm a little part of history," said Brake.

"I'm helping to bring Indigenous culture into the courtrooms."

By her own design

Brake says she worked on more than a dozen different possible designs for the beadwork before settling on the use of the four colours considered sacred in Mi'kmaq culture: white, yellow, red and black.

She says she'd tossed around the idea of doing something resembling the scales of justice but, after considering that's not Indigenous in origin, she decided to go with something more traditional.

In the end, her design involved the use of about 1,400 beads per eagle feather, and seven or eight hours' work on each one.

As she did the painstaking, meticulous work of stitching each bead onto the eagle feather, Brake says she reflected and contemplated the significance of her project.

"There was a lot of respect and emotion went into it, a lot of smudging to clear myself," said Brake.

"There were a lot of prayers said. It was just an honour. I was so overwhelmed."

Up to the task

Brake was selected to do the bead work for the eagle feathers, after becoming recognized in recent years as a Mi'kmaq bead artist.

She is known for her attention to detail and the fine craftsmanship she brings to other projects, from jewellery to functional items such as styluses and lighters.

But Brake has been beading only since 2012, beginning shortly after attending a powwow in Conne River.

"I was so inspired by their regalia and I thought I could try that. We've always been a crafty family," she said.

Brake ordered beads and supplies, and she connected online with some Indigenous women in the U.S. who helped guide her in learning the craft.

From there, she taught herself what she needed to know, and bead work soon became her passion.

Sometimes in Brake's work, her Indigenous roots are clearly evident, as when she uses the four sacred colours or certain standard patterns or types of fringes.

But she also doesn't mind incorporating something a little different into her creations.

"I want to bring back the culture, but I want to bring it back so that it's modern, too," said Brake.

And what she loves most is the opportunity for creativity and self-expression.

"Seeing my work being worn by other people is amazing," she said.

Facing the future with pride

Brake is thankful that times have changed since she was a child.

Back then, people would be more likely to make fun of her Mi'kmaq heritage than to buy Indigenous crafts.

Unlike some members of the Qalipu First Nation, Brake's family hasn't had to rediscover its ancestry and culture; they always knew they were Mi'kmaq.

As a result, Brake said she was sometimes the target of bullying.

"We were called the Humber Road savages," she said, a reference to the area of Corner Brook where her family lived.

She said people would ask what tribe they were from, and it wasn't out of genuine interest or a desire to learn.

When she thinks of people in court using the eagle feather to take an affirmation, Brake said she feels it's an affirmation of the Mi'kmaq people's very existence in Newfoundland.

"We are still here," said Brake.

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