Gaagegiiziigokwe
Description
This beaded jewlery set titled, “Gaagegiiziigokwe,” which translates from Anishinaabemowin to English as “Night Sky Woman,” is a visual representation of the artist and her journey of self discovery as an Anishinaabekwe. Both items are backed in smoked buckskin and were designed, beaded, and completed by the artist. The goal of the jewlery set is to resemble peace and healing for those that look upon it; might like one might feel after receiving a hug as depicted in the medallion.
Biography
Esme Bailey is currently a fourth-year student at Michigan State majoring in English and minoring in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and AIIS (American Indian and Indigenous Studies) as she works towards her certificate for secondary education. Esme has found a passion for contemporary and traditional styles of Anishinaabeg beadwork since beginning her learning journey in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is affiliated with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan from Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Esme hopes to bring recognition and representation to the forefront of education and the social sphere for other Indigenous children who didn’t see themselves in the grown-ups around them.
Reflection
Through the receiving of this grant, I was able to make such a large jewelry set without worrying about running out of supplies. As an independent artist committed to an artform that is not well-known, materials are expensive and hard to come by. More specifically, the seed beads, thread, smoked buckskin, sinew, bone beads, and other materials that were required for this project took out a large chunk of my inventory that I had previous to the project. This grant made it possible for me to let my spirit and creativity flow freely without the worry of running out of these precious materials. In terms of creating during COVID-19, I believe that I wouldn’t be where I am now in terms of knowledge and experience had it not been for the time spent at home during the pandemic. After the passing of my paternal grandfather just before the pandemic began, I was gifted with a large portion of his beading collection which included all of the supplies that I needed to begin learning the craft. Despite this, I kept finding excuses to put it off by ‘always being busy’ with other things going on. This is to say that the COVID-19 pandemic made me realize the importance of doing good things in the present rather than expecting them to be there later. Being able to connect with my culture and my own identity through beadwork is one of the reasons as to who I am today. Having lived through a pandemic while life was certainly not put on pause for us as young students and artists, I would most definitely say that other CAL students will benefit highly from such an honor as receiving this sort of financial aid. I believe that our time in college is not simply about our studies, but also about learning who we are as individuals and figuring out how we can best serve ourselves and our respective communities.