Niio Perkins standing next to the traditional regalia dress she made and beaded. She named the piece "She/Her". (Celia Clarke/NCPR)
Nov 12, 2022 —
An exhibit of works by Haudenosaunee artists is in the Brush Gallery at St. Lawrence University. The Haudenosaunee confederacy (also known as the Iroquois confederacy) is made up of six indigenous nations in New York State. It includes the Mohawks in Akwesasne.
One of the artists in the exhibit is designer Niio Perkins from Akwesasne.
Just inside the entrance to the exhibition stands a classic regalia dress made by Perkins. It is made of wool and calico, decorated with her raised beadwork. That’s a tradition that goes back to the 17th century among the Haudenosaunee people. Perkins is Mohawk and grew up in Akwesasne. As she describes the dress, Perkins is caressing the beading around the hem.
"There's something there's definitely some kind of magical power here," she said.
She made this dress in 2020 during the lockdown. She said that was a difficult year personally and beading helped her get through it.
"The therapeutic value that beading has because you have tunnel vision, and you're just looking right in front of you and your focus is all right there. So most of the time, you're just kind of deep in thought," she said.
It took Perkins two days to bead one row around the hem.
Detail of the hem of the realia dress in the exhibit currently in the Brush Gallery. (Celia Clarke/NCPR)
Perkins is a full-time artist. She’s in her forties and is probably best known for making raised beadwork jewelry. Regalia dresses like this aren’t meant to be worn every day. They are mostly worn at celebrations and ceremonies. But, Perkins takes inspiration from them for the everyday clothing she designs now, like sundresses, jackets, and yoga pants.
"I wanted to find a way to celebrate that on a day-to-day basis, going to work going to dinner, you know, other special events. So I had to create pieces that were more tangible," she said.
Perkins’ dark hair is pulled back in a ponytail. On this day she’s wearing a jean jacket decorated with pop culture designs by other indigenous artists. Everything about her appearance, her clothing, and her tattoos are all expressions of a contemporary indigenous style that she puts into her designs.
Niio Perkins standing outside the Brush Gallery. Her jean jacket includes pieces created by other indigenous artists. Some of her tattoos are made in a traditional indigenous pin (Celia Clarke/NCPR)
She wants them to be meaningful to specific customers.
"Lots of people buy my work, but I create things that are for Haudenosaunee. So that we can start building those connections to our past. If somebody were to ask, 'Why are there a bunch of triangles on those yoga pants?' well, that design comes from here. And that's mostly what fashion is like, to spark conversation," she said.
That pattern on the yoga pants is traditional to Mohawk pottery. And yes, it’s pretty but Perkins had another reason for putting it and other Haudenosaunee design motifs on her clothes.
Perkins describes her work called "She/Her", a traditional Mohawk regalia dress. (Celia Clarke/NCPR)
"Representation and authenticity. And those are a couple of things that are super important to me. Because that can get so twisted and skewed, when it's in someone else's hand, right? So it feels really proud— to be able to wear something that's a piece of your identity, you're kind of you're building a relationship with who you are. It's a great introduction to explore more about who you are," she said.
Perkins is still making beaded jewelry, but earlier this year she moved into a bigger workspace across the river in Cornwall, Ontario. She’s started a business partnership. Eventually, they’ll train new craftspeople so her clothes can be made closer to the places that inspire them.
The exhibition, “Each One Inspired: Haudenosaunee Art across the Homelands from the New York State Museum is in the Brush Gallery on the campus of St. Lawrence University until Dec. 10. Weekly gallery talks are happening while the show is on display.
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Akwesasne designer Niio Perkins combines traditional and modern indigenous art - North Country Public Radio
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