ABOUT RED OAK BEADS

Laalo’kacitiifa nisawaanwa wiifowe / ᏦᏁᎾ ᏓᏆᏙᎠ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎬᏂ / Bri is my English name. My family is enrolled with the Shawnee Tribe and Cherokee Nation.

I began offering my beadwork for donations in March 2020 after months of accumulating hospital bills due to severe, lingering symptoms of COVID-19. Friends and family generously supported me and now I am able to offer more beadwork than I ever dreamed of. It's because of your interest and support that I get to create beautiful pieces of art!

When I am not beading, I am dancing, learning from family and the ancestors, communing with nature, and doing/studying language reclamation. I hold a Master of Arts in Native American Languages and Linguistics from the University of Arizona and am pursuing a doctorate in Linguistic Anthropology from the City University of New York, Graduate Center.

I am a language teacher and curriculum developer for my tribal Nations and am working on a children’s book series. My dream is to see Native youth thrive in our languages, cultures, and communities. Niyaawe | ᏩᏙ | thanks for your interest in my craft!