Spirit of Matuwehs (Porcupine)

Matuwehs or the Porcupine was a very useful animal for my People especially for its quills (kawiyik).

The quills were used to decorate birch bark, hide and skins. They were usually hand-dyed and treated. The quills would be woven using moose threads made from the tendon of a moose found a long its spine. When the tendon is well beaten, it separated into fine threads.

Today, the original processes and methods are lost to most of us. Today, traditional quill weaving is rapidly disappearing.

In this piece, I tried to capture the true beauty of the art.

Size: 24” x 30”
Medium: Acrylic Airbrush on Canvas