Dillon Bickell is an Anishinaabe quill worker from Chippewas of Rama First Nation, and one of only a handful of people in his community still practising this craft. In this conversation, he walks us through the entire process, from harvesting birch bark and sourcing porcupine quills to creating intricate designs held together by nothing but friction.

Dillon talks about blood memory, the connection he feels to a grandmother he never met, and why he's driven to document and teach an art form that was nearly lost. He shares how he's pushing quill work into new territory with pop culture designs, commissioned medallions, and plans for a children's book that could give the next generation something he never had growing up.

Dillon Bickell

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Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:30 Meet Dillon Bickell, Anishinaabe Quill Worker

2:35 Blood Memory and His Grandmother's Legacy

5:06 How Porcupine Quills and Birch Bark Are Harvested

9:29 Tobacco Offerings and Cultural Teachings

10:26 Traditional and Pop Culture Quill Art

14:22 Commissions, Medallions, and Quill Boxes

17:51 Preserving Indigenous Art for Future Generations