Cape Made by Mohawk Tammy Beauvais Gifted to Michelle Obama

 

Tammy Beauvais is a fourth generation artisan from Kahnawake, Que. She makes dresses, capes and scarves. Beauvais has been designing since childhood. She started selling her work at 13, and says her business, Tammy Beauvais Designs, has now been running for 17 years.

Recently, Beauvais has accomplished another major feat, making a cape that was given to US First Lady Michelle Obama. More amazing, it was given to her by Ma'dam Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, who also has one of Beauvais's capes herself!

According to CBC News, it all started when Beauvais met Valerie Galley, who is the partner of Assembly of First Nations Chief, Perry Bellegarde. Beauvais was displaying her designs at the chief's gathering in Saskatchewan when Galley stopped, said she loved the pieces, and bought one. When Justin Trudeau became prime minister last fall, Galley contacted Beauvais to commission a gift for Grégoire-Trudeau, who loved it and sent Beauvais a letter of thanks afterward. Then, things started to snowball for Beauvais. Grégoire-Trudeau contacted her to make a cape for U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama.

The cape was gifted last week when the Trudeaus visited the United States.

"The thought that we were going to get indigenous people to do this work, to make the gifts, to give them as gifts to the president of the U.S and the first lady. It's so big," Beauvais told CBC. "It's honouring my family, the women in my family. It's the strength from those women. I wouldn't be here without them, so it's honouring them."

"At this time in my career, doing it full time for 17 years, to have this honour...It totally makes everything worth it," she added.

 

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