After moving to Cleveland in 2019, Beth Bush was feeling culturally disconnected from her Potawatomi tribe in Michigan.
It prompted her to return to her practice of Indigenous beading and learn the ancient art of quill work.
鈥淭o me, it's important,鈥� Bush said. 鈥淚t's a way of me reclaiming what was taken from us.鈥�
Bush has not only reconnected to her heritage, but she鈥檚 also become an award-winning artist.
Quill art is a pre-historic art form that utilizes porcupine quills dating from before European settlers arrived in North America.
鈥淚t's like the oldest decoration that we have. It was before beads. It was our first way of decorating, like our moccasins and our coats, our bags,鈥� Bush said. 鈥淚t was prevalent before the fur trade came.鈥�
Working with quills is a long process that includes multiple steps.
鈥淭he quills I have come from Montana,鈥� Bush said. 鈥淚 trade my earrings for these quills. And then I take the quills: I wash the quills, I sort the quills, I dye the quills, I sort quills again. And then I choose the best that I like.鈥�
Longtime Clevelander Robbi Swift is a member of the Whitefish River First Nation in Ontario, Canada, and said she is impressed by how quickly Bush picked up this ancient tradition.
鈥淪he has really leaps and bounds honed her skill with quill work, and she's willing to do things the right way,鈥� Swift said. 鈥淪he takes her ideas from nature the way it should be done.鈥�
Last summer Bush went to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis for its annual market and festival where she won a Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award.
鈥淭hat was awesome,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t's in the museum now, so other people get to see it. That's really cool.鈥�
Bush said she hopes to host quill workshops more frequently in Northeast Ohio.
鈥淢y main goal is to teach people so they can teach other people,鈥� Bush said. 鈥淭here's not a lot of people who do it, and it needs to be brought back.鈥�
Swift is passionate about sharing Indigenous history and culture in the United States and praises Bush for her work.
鈥淚t's who we are,鈥� Swift said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 why we work so hard to keep our children involved in it, so they understand, 鈥楾his is who you are. This is what your people did long before there were any settlers here.鈥�"
