March Feature: Metis Caravan

This month's feature artist at the Rural Creators' Collective is Roni walker of Metis Caravan.  She has been working hard to set up the display.

 To set the mood, she has set up a small teepee on the landing:

Roni has a large selection of items to choose from in the store this month.  From leather pouches and drums,

 dream catchers and earrings,

 necklaces,

 (lots of necklaces, all unique and handmaid),

 to leather items.

And all month, she is offering 10% off any of her items.  Now is the time to stop in and pick out that special item for yourself or as a gift.

Roni chose to write her own feature this month.  This is what she has to share:

"In our Native way...Ojibwa, Seneca, Cree, we welcome the new seasons with a ceremony which includes kindness to one another in the community. We share with each other a pot-latch dinner and a giveaway blanket. In each case everyone from the community brings what they can and everyone goes away full. The giveaway means each person brings a gift (something they've made or something they've used, don't need any more but may benefit someone else. All the gifts are laid on the blanket then in turn each person takes something from the blanket.

In our co-operative store, " Rural Creators' Collective " We try to show cultures in a simpler time, Cornish, Celtic, Aboriginal and others by sharing the traditions, teaching the crafts and selling our own works - antiques, reproductions, recycles, etc.

In March my Native Crafts will be the featured art of the month at the store and I will be sharing the ceremonies to welcome Spring. Since a store setting doesn't allow for a giveaway and feast for the community I will be showing the giveaway by giving out AOK cards to those who visit MetisCaravan at the store all month. This way they will experience the gift of the card and the giveaway of the kindness act (should they choose to participate) and the sense of  Community if they then give the card to someone else.

I'm so excited."