Lake Nipissing Beading Project

Lake Nipissing Beading Project is a collaborative art and history initiative.

In Anishinabek News

• September 2022: The project is a five-metre beaded map of Lake Nipissing and its waterways consisting of 444 individual pieces. Led by Carrie Allison and Kirsten Greer, the initiative launched publicly at Nipissing University on September 9, 2022. The installation was created to address isolation during the pandemic while honoring the traditions of the Nbisiing Nishinaabeg.
• September 2022: The project consists of 444 individually beaded squares forming a five-metre map of Lake Nipissing and its waterways and tributaries. It was created during the COVID-19 pandemic to engage community members during isolation. The installation is scheduled to be displayed at the Thunder Bay Museum after its showing in North Bay. The project is dedicated to the late Muriel Sawyer-Baa.
• April 2024: The project began in 2020 as a collaboration between Nipissing University and local First Nations to create a gridded map using over 450 beaded squares. The map has been exhibited at various locations including the Thunder Bay Museum, NSCAD University, and the Nipissing University Student Union Student Centre. The artwork incorporates themes of Indigenous sovereignty, historical ecologies, and clan symbols to honour the history of the land and water.
• December 2025: The project created a five-metre geographically accurate map of Lake Nipissing composed of 444 individual beaded squares. It began during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for isolated individuals to maintain connections through traditional craft. Nipissing First Nation and Dokis First Nation entered a partnership to share the long-term care and curation of the map.