Beading

For centuries, Athathabakan women have been creating beautiful beaded clothing and other decorative objects. Traditionally, they used carved wooden beads, shells, seeds and quills. Glass beads were introduced after the European contact. After the advent of the French in Canada, elaborate floral designs were popular in the 18th and 19th century so beadwork designs for many years have been flowers and leaves. But in the early years, Athabaskan beadwork consisted primarily of simple geometric patterns.