The Beadworkers by Beth Piatote
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
The Beadworkers by Beth Piatote is a gorgeous collection of stories. They are unique, impactful, and meaningful stories ranging from love stories, family connections, an auntie teaching beadwork lessons infused with life lessons, and an Indigenized version of Antigone. I found myself unable to put my pen down throughout the entire book because every line was powerful. It’s full of knowledge, some clearly stated and some woven into beautiful prose.
The Beadworkers is a work where the individual stories all come together to make one beautiful collective. It is representative of Indigenous community values and the ways that Indigenous writing follows traditional storytelling patterns.
The collection showcases Indigenous culture, experiences, and stories from the points of view of young and old, urban and rural, those who are connected to their ancestry and those not as traditionally. Piatote brings stories home to wherever that home may be.
I could write 10 pages on ‘Antikoni’ but I’ll keep it simple. In the format of a Greek tragedy, Antikoni acts in alignment with the laws of the Eternal world, not the laws of man. She is punished, and elements of technology are used as a symbol of the time. The use of the tragedy format creates such strong feelings in the reader as colonial ways are presented..yet in the way they exist today. Technology creates a weird contrast between past and present, and asks the reader why? Honor is challenged in a historical way, but really calling out to ‘us’ (or maybe just Indigenous peoples, that’s not up for me to say) today.
I loved this collection and I think it would be a great read for anybody, especially former English Lit majors like me who might obsess over the last story!
Reading Journal Questions
Which story from the collection resonated with you?
What did you learn about Indigenous culture from these stories?
What did you learn about yourself from these stories?
How did the format of Antikoni speak to you as a reader?
