Made in Canada
Materials: Velveteen, Cotton
Metis people call these baby carriers “Mossbags” because of how Sphagnum Moss was used inside them. Historically, the women would gather and dry the moss ahead of time. The dried moss was put under the baby’s bottom as the baby was swaddled, and then the swaddled baby was laced into the mossbag. The antibacterial properties of this traditional medicine prevented the baby from getting what we now call Diaper Rash. When the moss became soiled, it was replaced with fresh dried moss. While people today put their baby in a diaper before they swaddle them and lace them into a Mossbag, the name for the carrier remains unchanged.
About the Artist: Born in Edmonton, Alberta, and now living on the Westcoast of BC, Lisa is a beadwork artist who celebrates her Metis heritage and documents stories through traditional beadwork and contemporary designs. Her beaded garment designs were seen in the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, at the same time that her beaded six-foot Aboriginal Art Bottle titled, “The Awakening” was unveiled by Coca-Cola for the same event. Lisa’s beadwork is a part of the permanent collections of the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives, The Gabriel Dumont Institute Museum and Archives and the Royal Alberta Museum. In 2015, Lisa's beadwork was included in the Venice Biennale as part of Luciano Benetton’s Imago Mundi collective project. Lisa enjoys bringing traditional teachings and cultural presentations to schools, where she sparks excitement and curiosity about the nature-based art of the Flower Beadwork People.
Image 1 Photo Credit: In View Images