Nomadic Sashes, Scholars and Sovereigns: A Visual History of Indigenous Sashes

Drawing inspiration from the art and materiality of the sash used by Metis communities historically and today, this project weaves together stories, artworks and teachings of the finger-woven sash. I base this paper on my exploration of Indigenous material relations within an Italian context considering the longue durée of Indigenous nomads, scholars and sashes that have engaged Venice and Rome. I will discuss three examples to ground this story: my experiences as a Nomadic scholar, what I am calling ancestral sashes and scholarship around sashes as sovereign relations connecting all our relations across time and space.