Akwesasne family carries on 16th century Haudenosaunee tradition

For the first time, 10-year-old Kenna back-weaves the threads of a beaded loom belt that she designed and beaded herself. Glossy white beads cover the loom as bright and colourful designs, a turtle to represent the turtle clan; her favourite flowers, roses and forget-me-nots; and a monarch butterfly–her favourite insect- fill the belt. Kenna sits in a large leather-cushioned chair, leaning over the loom. After she’s beaded one row, she highlights the section of her design on a printed-out drawing of the loom belt, keeping track of each row she’s completed. As she focuses on weaving each bead through the loom, her mother, Kelly Back, stands beside her, guiding her through the process. “Then you pull it through,” says Kelly, watching over her daughter. “There you go.” Kelly Back runs Fire Loom Creations with her husband, Tyson, in Akwesasne Mohawk Territory. The duo designs custom loom belts, telling the stories of the individual or community they are designing the belt for. “My Mohawk name is Tsieriwaiens, so [it means] bringing a good message, again,” says Kelly. “And I do just that by retelling people’s stories, people’s messages.” Kelly flips through a binder filled with images of her completed designs. “This binder holds all of our community belt designs,” says Kelly, pointing to a missing and murdered Indigenous woman and Every Child Matters Day themed belt. Their work carries on a 16th century Haudenosaunne tradition. “Wampum belts were a way for Haudenosaunee people, or a lot of First Nations tribes, to document history,” says Kelly. “We didn’t write with a pen and paper, so our way to express and document history–storytelling was through artwork.” Some of Fire Loom Creation’s designs, including their booklet showcasing drawings of their community belts. Photo: Savanna Craig/APTN. One of the most notable wampum belts is the two row wampum. This belt documents an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Dutch settlers. The design shows two boats navigating the river of life without overlapping or interfering with one another. These belts were once made by hand; then the loom was introduced. “The loom is another tool that was added to make it easier and faster to do,” says Tyson. The duo tells each individual or community’s unique story through their loom belt. “We’ll get to know them; they tell us what they would like to see on their belt design,” says Kelly. “A lot of them ask for certain symbolism to help represent who they are as a person–what clan family they belong to, any tribal designs from whatever tribe they belong to.” A cabin sits behind Kelly and Tyson’s home. This is where the duo hosts tours inviting both community and non-community members to learn how to bead with the loom. “We use this little cabin for our tours,” says Kelly. Through this experience, participants can learn how to bead their own two-row wampum bracelet. The cabin is now under renovation, but it will soon reopen to the public. “People from outside the community can come in and take tours and learn from us,” says Kelly. “They learn a little bit about our culture and us.” A beaded image of Kelly and Tyson’s wedding photo. Photo: Savannah Craig/APTN. Fire Loom Creations was born from a love story. “[Tyson and I] decided to get married traditional and I wanted to make Tyson a beaded loom belt,” says Kelly, describing that he had never made a piece that big. “He had created a design when he was younger for a gustoweh headband, and so I took that design and I kind of tripled it and made him a belt.” Since then, the duo has beaded 227 belts for ceremonies, weddings, graduations and more. The duo often includes their children in their travels and milestones. A highlight from their work is designing a Buffalo Bills themed belt, showcasing the history of the Buffalo Bills. The belt is now on display at the Buffalo Bills Stadium located in Orchard Park, New York. Fire Loom Creations recently won the Indigenous Artist of the Year at the 28th annual American Indigenous Tourism Conference. Photo: Savanna Craig/APTN. Last month, the duo took their three young children with them to see the belt on display. The family recently celebrated another win for their business. Kelly holds a woven award Fire Loom Creations recently won at the 28th annual American Indigenous Tourism “We [won] the Indigenous Artists of the Year,” says Kelly. One day the family business may one day be taken over by their children. “Maybe one day in the future, they’ll be receiving awards on behalf of Fire Loom,” she says. For now, Kelly and Tyson have their hands full with orders queued years in advance. “It’s [a] three and a half to four years [wait] for no rush,” says Kelly. “And for graduation orders, we’re booking out to 2040.” Orders can be made by messaging Fire Loom Creations through Facebook or Instagram.  Savanna CraigReporter | MontréalSavanna has spent the last eight years reporting on policing, human rights violations, the silencing of the pro-Palestine movement and protests surrounding violence in the Middle East. She grew up in Toronto and began her career in Montreal reporting on Indigenous-led Energy East pipeline protests. Before joining APTN she was a freelance journalist for TRT World, Middle East Eye and The Breach. Continue Reading