Beaded Birds in Haudenosaunee Art

Haudenosaunee beadwork is a skilled art form that has its origin in New York. Many Haudenosaunee artists continue to work with this medium, inspired by tiny glass beads imported from Europe beginning in the 16th century. Their work features intricately beaded ornaments, pincushions, card holders, wall pockets, picture frames, and other keepsakes that reflect Haudenosaunee ingenuity and aesthetic.

Dolores Elliott is a retired archaeologist who has researched the art and artifacts of the indigenous people of the Northeast for the last 50 years. Since the 1970s, her research has concentrated on Haudenosaunee beadwork. She has mounted over a dozen exhibitions, and has written eighteen publications on the subject.