photo by: Chansi Long

Krystle Perkins displays her handmade beaded Chickasaw collars. Perkins and others will talk about the history of beading and show some beading projects at an event Saturday called History of Beading.

Because of her light-skinned appearance, Lawrence resident Krystle Perkins, 39, spent a good chunk of her life laboring over her right to claim her Chickasaw heritage. One day several years ago, she thanked the governor of the Chickasaw tribe for his support, despite the fact she was only “part” Chickasaw.

“He immediately stopped me and said, ‘No, you are Chickasaw. There is no part. If you embrace your heritage, you are Chickasaw,'” Perkins said.

One way Perkins embraces her Chickasaw heritage now is through beading, a traditional Indigenous art and an important part of Chickasaw culture. Perkins and others will talk about the history of beading and show some beading projects, such as traditional Chickasaw collars, at an event called History of Beading, offered by the Indigenous Community Center. History of Beading, a free event open to everyone, is scheduled for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Haskell Indian Nations University Sacred Grounds, 137 Pawnee Ave.

Robert Hicks Jr., board chair for the Indigenous Community Center, sees the event as an opportunity for the center to connect with Lawrence residents from all cultures and backgrounds.

“We want people to come here and feel welcomed. This is a safe space for people so they can open up to real conversations,” Hicks said. “Whoever you are, no matter how you identify, you can still come together and learn.”

Hicks, a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada, says this is the center’s first official event since forming during the 2020 pandemic. The event will serve as an introduction to the center’s values: education, community connection and Indigenous history.

Members of the center’s board will discuss the history of beading, as well as its symbolic meaning and spiritual value.

Board member Monique Mercurio has been beading since she was 6.

“I can remember many nights growing up and on the weekend before a powwow we would stay up really late and just bead and spend time together, and it was some of the best memories I have,” she said. “(This event) is a focus on beading and how precious it is to us and how much it means. It’s a very sacred practice. It’s a form of prayer for us; we put ourselves so deeply into it.”

Beading goes beyond the physical process of creating a piece of art, Mercurio said. Each bead is placed in a “good way,” which means she channels intention and honor into her work. She owns beaded works from her deceased uncle that symbolically represent pieces of his life, and when she wears them, she wears them to honor and respect him.

To Mercurio, the intention in creating a beaded work is crucial. Some non-Native artisans have capitalized on the aesthetic appeal of bead work, imitating Native styles and selling them for profit.

“When non-Natives sell Native art, not only does it hurt the Native community — it was not done in a good way,” Mercurio said. “People are definitely welcome to wear Indigenous art and support Indigenous art, but it’s also important to make sure it’s from Indigenous people. There are some people who are not Native who use tribal designs and sell it as Native work, taking it from the people who have carried this tradition for centuries.”

Mercurio distinguishes between cultural appropriation, when a person poaches an element from another person’s culture, sometimes for gain, and appreciation, when a person earnestly seeks to learn about and explore another culture.

“A lot of people are interested and curious about Indigenous culture, and we definitely want to embrace that,” Mercurio said. “We want to provide a warm outlet where people can come and ask questions”

For Perkins, who first learned to bead two years ago, beading is a way to honor her heritage.

“I had never beaded before, but I was absolutely hooked and have beaded almost daily since,” she said. “Beading has become like meditation to me. When I am creating something, I am totally focused on that project and nothing else. It also reminds me that I am not perfect; if I make a mistake in my work, it was meant to be there since humans are not perfect. It makes me feel peaceful and connected to my ancestors.”