Métis Rose III - Art Card
Métis Rose III
Lisa Shepherd & Kristi Bridgeman
The Métis matriarchs of early British Columbia, often in the historical shadows of their husbands, were well educated, had the ability to speak many languages and could carry on the business of the trade. At the same time, their knowledge of plant medicine and ability to live off the land, ensured survival when everywhere west of the Rockies was still considered wild. Their mastery of beadwork, embroidery and functional leather work was much sought after and, through trade, provided means for their families. In the Pacific Northwest (British Columbia), it was Métis women who married HBC officers and were therefore, for a brief period of time, within the upper echelons of society.
Métis Rose III is dedicated to Isabella Mainville Ross. Isabella was a Métis woman of Anishinaabe and French lineage who married HBC Chief Trader Charles Ross with whom she had nine children. She was known as a strong and courageous woman who knew the plants and their medicinal uses. A decade after her husband died, Isabella purchased 99 acres of land near Fort Victoria, making her the first female landowner in British Columbia.
Mixed media: moose hide, velveteen, glass and metal beads, porcupine quills, sepia ink and watercolour on paper.
Blank inside. Description of art on back of the card. Envelope included. Printed in Canada on recycled FSC paper.