Rhonda Besaw

I was inspired to make this Mi’kmaq style peaked cap to honor Clarissa Basque Tellier, a Mi’kmaq woman and great grandmother of artist and author, Gerry Biron.  In a portrait that Gerry did of Clarissa she is wearing a beautiful Mi’kmaq peaked cap.  I wanted not just to recreate this old style peaked cap, but to also include a contemporary design to honor the woman that Clarissa was.

The beadwork design on the upper portion of this peaked cap follows a design found on a Mi’kmaq peaked cap held by the British Museum.  The bottom panel is my original design which represents the medicine plant, juniper.  Small white birds carry the remembrance of Clarissa and all our Grandmothers.  My work is signed in beadwork, the mark of a squirrel.

This peaked cap is made of wool, glass seed beads, antique steel cut and brass beads, silk ribbon, cotton lining.