Karennotakies Barnes

Mohawk, Ontario

I am the artist behind Three Sisters Designs. My Kanien’kéha name is Karennotakies, which means she is singing around. I am Mohawk, Turtle Clan of Akwesasne. I like using the traditional Haudenosaunee style of raised beadwork. I incorporate natural materials such as leather and wampum as seen in my work. I learned the same way many artists have, at Totas table.

My grandma Donna Benedict taught me how to bead, sew, and work with leather. I’ve been creating since I was 15, going on 13 years altogether. I started my business after my grandmother passed away about 4 years ago. She was the driving force behind Three Sisters Designs. Creating helps me grieve and heal living without her, and I can only strive to be as good of an artist as she was. It’s always been a goal of mine to have my work represented in the woodland cultural center. A lot of my inspiration comes from my family, I have a beautiful son and daughter. I also find a lot of inspiration while being a language student and learning more about our history. I love looking at beadwork from the 1800-the 1900’s there so much beauty in our history and language. I hope to continue making beadwork that last generations. All my creations and future creations can be found on my Instagram profile “Three Sisters Design”.

Nía:wen/ thank you.