Beadwork Celebration honors survivors, builds support

Sometimes finding the beauty in life can be elusive. Other times, it is all a matter of taking a different view. Looking for a way to recognize the realities of sexual assault through a new lens, as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, brought about a refocusing that led to the creation of the Beadwork Celebration on April 13.

Annually, April is a time of recognition and education around the issues associated with sexual assault. SAFE Harbor partners with different organizations to encourage a better understanding of the challenges faced by survivors and their families.

“With the Beadwork Celebration, the group wants to honor survivors, recognize their journey and promote a stronger community of support in the future by connecting to a form of artwork that is inspiring and timeless,” said Dana Grant, SAFE Harbor Director of Development.

“Beadwork is an enduring cultural symbol of strength,” he added. “Celebrating the beauty and history of beadwork is a perfect way to show support for survivors.”

In collaborating with different groups, including the Salish Kootenai College Art Department, Salish Kootenai College’s Center for Prevention and Wellness, the Journey to Wellness, the Spirit of Many Colors, and the SKC Student Senate, SAFE Harbor is hopeful this will become an annual celebration of beadwork and those who create it.

“It is a chance to remember the artists whose imagination transforms hundreds of tiny objects into a magnificent visual creation,” Grant said.

Those hosting the Beadwork Celebration see a clear connection between survivors and the lasting power of beadwork. For centuries, beadwork has reflected the life of native people. It has survived even through the worst of times.

“Survivors have the same resiliency, demonstrating so much courage as they recover from an assault. It is a process and it takes time,” Grant explained. “Going ahead can be lonely for a survivor. Seeing them succeed has its own kind of power and beauty.”

The Beadwork Celebration takes place 1-7 p.m. April 13 in the Sherri McDonald Room at the Joe McDonald Event Center on the Salish Kootenai College campus in Pablo. Beadwork crafted by artists from across the community will be on display from 1-7 p.m., with a panel conversation with some of the artists at 3 p.m. Participants will share their vision, inspiration, and other reflections on their artwork.

A reception for the artists and community begins at 5:30 p.m. All events will be free and open to the public. Everyone is encouraged to stop by during the day or for the reception.

“Each piece of beadwork has a story, connecting to society, a community, an individual, a place – and most of all a vision,” Grant said. “Every day survivors work to find a new vision for their lives, a vision that helps them overcome the trauma and challenges they face after being attacked. It is not easy.”