One father’s new adventure honors daughter
Graduation is such a special time for families, and our Native communities celebrate another year of several graduates reaching one of their highest achievements. This is also a time when so much creativity and cultural tradition are on display, showcasing a living connection to ancestors and history.
We must hand it to our Marketing Director, Phillip Gaudon (Mi'kmaq First Nations), who recently completed his very first beading project. Phillip beaded his daughter Phaedra's eagle feather and plume for her college graduation cap. The eagle feather was found on his homeland of Mi'kma'ki, while the plume was gifted to Phaedra by her Unci (grandmother) and by a nephew of Phillip and his wife, Saheyala, who has since passed on. Phaedra's graduation cap itself was beaded by Shay, Phaedra's mother, making this a meaningful family collaboration across generations.
He found the eagle feather on his homeland of Mi'kma'ki and the plume was gifted to Phaedra from their Unci (grandmother) and from Phillip and his wife Saheyala's nephew who has passed.
"The eagle feather was something Shay and I found when I was up in my homelands. We were kayaking on the riverbed, and a huge eagle flew over us carrying its recently caught prey," Phillip said. "We didn't see it again but while we were adventuring and taking a break for lunch, there was a small island we stopped at. On this island is where we found four feathers. Four has powerful meaning for us as it ties to the Four Directions. This feather was one of our four and our daughter earned it for her struggle, her courage, and resilience, and her success."
Beading his nephew's plume brought its own profound meaning.
"The plume was my first time ever beading and I felt like he was there guiding me. Helping me thread each bead and ensuring it all went into the place it was meant to be," Phillip said. "The pattern is a simple weave known as peyote stitch. It's an off-loom technique that is commonly used while beading to my knowledge."
And somewhere in those quiet hours of threading beads, something unexpected happened.
"The thing about this whole endeavor was it made me realize how calm I became while working on these. It took me by surprise as I struggle with sitting still for long periods of time," he said. "This however, reminded me of building Legos when I was a kid. I got into this kind of 'zone' and felt compelled to continue. I don't know how long each of these took to bead; all I know is I love the journey it took me on and most importantly, my daughter loved them."
Congratulations to Phaedra and to every graduate in our Native communities this season. You make your relatives proud.
