Author:KIRTILALS

An Exploration of Canadian Aboriginal Jewellery

First Nations were producing art for thousands of years before the arrival of European settler-colonists and the eventual establishment of Canada as a nation-state. Like the people who produced them, indigenous art traditions spanned territories across North America. Art traditions vary enormously amongst and within the diverse groups. Indigenous visual art may be used in conjunction with other arts. Shamans' masks and rattles are used ceremoniously in dance, storytelling, and music. Regalia in Indigenous cultures refers to the traditional and often sacred clothing, accessories, and artifacts worn or carried during various ceremonies, such as powwows, celebrations, and pan-national gatherings. The design, type, and meaning of regalia vary greatly depending on the individual who wears it, the culture from which it originates, and the event where it is worn.

The symbols, emblems, and physical artifacts traditionally associate with a person of significance or with official titles and powers. While culturally specific, regalia generally reflects the authority, legitimacy, or insider status of the person who wears or owns it. That’s why regalia holds such significance in appropriating and identifying various distinct cultures. Indigenous regalia is a living art that incorporates a variety of materials, including cedar, cotton, buckskin, beads, ribbons, porcupine quills, eagle feathers, bones, and leather as well as shiny precious metals, for example, silver, brass, and copper.

In the Métis and Inuit tribes, the Eagle is considered the messenger of the Creator, therefore its feathers are held in high regard. Thus, the Eagle feather is the link between the People and the Creator. Eagle feathers are gathered in ritual. No one has the right to take an Eagle feather for her/himself, but they have to be awarded to the bearer.

Today, Indigenous tribes wear regalia as a sign of their autonomy and heritage. And to mark this delineation, we have chosen Canadian Aboriginals for our inspiration for the new collection- Tribal Treasures. We want you to be a part of this significant representation of a culture with such high regard and so beautiful in nature. Match your most stunning outfit with the flaming red enamel and its distinct proportions, and you’re ready to stand out, with Kirtilals.