Education
As a result of colonialism’s cultural suppression and destruction, many Indigenous languages and cultural practices have decline over the past several decades. The bear paw quill box is especially remarkable in that it was created with the goal of helping to keep the art of Indigenous quill work alive. The box was left half decorated in order to allow the viewer to understand how the box was constructed. One can see the outline of the bear paw design carved into the birch bark, and observe how the quills are inserted to create the pattern and cover the box. Additionally, the inside of the box has sections where the bark wall has been cut away, further revealing the nature of its construction and showing how the quills are placed and then cut. Yvonne Walker Keshick, the box’s maker, often expresses her aspiration to spread the craft, stating her belief that “it is truly our responsibility to teach others all of the best things of our culture” (qtd. in National Endowment for the Arts). Her passion for the art has also lead her to give classes on quill work, which reporters have described as “woven into the fabric” of the community, and as being “equal parts history, cultural, [and] community” (Flemming, B1), highlighting the cultural value of quill work to many Indigenous communities. The bear paw quill box, with its unique construction, allows to artists and other viewers a valuable look into the creation process of the boxes. It is an exceptional educational tool for teaching the art of quill box production, and one which artists for generations to come might use continue to breathe life into the historic and beautiful Indigenous craft of quill working.