Maria Rose Sikyea was a young girl when her father, Dene fashion designer Tim Sikyea, taught her how to tuft caribou hair. But it wasn’t until the birth of her first son that she immersed herself in the practice, which she sees as a way to connect with her ancestors and carry their teachings forward.
Sikyea, who hosts workshops and sells her pieces through her business, Caribou Woman Creations, has developed a technique she calls “micro-tufting,” creating a single flower petal from multiple small tufts of hair. She compares the art form to painting—each tuft is like a brushstroke, with different shades and textures bringing depth and dimension to her work.
These earrings depict forget- me-not flowers
Sikyea uses beading thread, rather than sinew, because it’s easier to work with
The stems are made from porcupine quills; the centre is a moonstone
She doubles her thread and uses glover needles, good for tough materials like hide. Then ties three knots
Sikyea makes a loop-de-loop with the threads, two to three fingers big, taking care that she doesn’t twist them
THEN she pulls the hair through the loop, placing the thread about a centimetre from the root. Next, she pulls the thread so it’s snug, then knots and cuts it
Sikyea uses scissors to create a spherical shape
