Appropriation in art: Indigenous knock-offs for sale at national elders gathering sparks outrage – CBC

‘It’s time for us to stop allowing other people to take what’s not theirs’

Sep 15, 2017

Cree artist Aaron Lee weaves sinew inside a tear-shaped willow frame, crafting another one-of-kind dreamcatcher.

The sinew is purchased locally, the willow collected in Edmonton’s river valley; all created with a prayer and the wisdom passed down from his family of artisans at Ermineskin Cree Nation.

Those skills were on display Thursday at a table in the Edmonton Expo Centre. In his two dark braids, brimmed hat and snowy goatee, Lee stood out among a few dozen vendors at the National Gathering of Elders in Edmonton.