For Neika Smith, creating art is about more than making something beautiful.

The 25-year-old Métis and Cree artist, who was born and raised in Slave Lake, sees sewing, beading and other forms of artistic expression as a way of connecting with her culture — and of learning more about herself in the process.

“My sewing, beading, and creating in general has always been inspired and influenced by my culture,” Smith said.

Smith has developed a wide-ranging creative practice that includes sewing, beading, painting and cultural education.

She also leads workshops covering everything from teepee teachings and the Seven Grandfather Teachings to medicine wheel teachings, dream catcher making, basic beading and sewing.

Her workshops also include ribbon skirt and ribbon shirt creation, introductions to painting, and sessions on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.

For Smith, the process of creating is inseparable from the process of learning.

“Learning traditional protocols surrounding certain art pieces I create always intrigues me,” she said. “I love to learn while I create.”

That connection to culture has become one of the defining elements of her work.

Smith creates traditional-style Métis and Cree clothing, including ankle-length ribbon skirts, jingle dresses, fancy dresses, ribbon shirts and moss bags.

She also incorporates contemporary designs into her work, including shorter kokum skirts and shin- or knee-length ribbon skirts.

Her work reflects both an appreciation for traditions passed down through generations and a willingness to make those traditions her own.

“My artwork has connected me to my culture in many ways,” Smith said. “It grounds me and brings me inner peace.”

Inspired by the land

Much of Smith’s inspiration comes from the natural world.

She grew up around activities such as berry picking, harvesting medicines, hunting and fishing, and said spending time outdoors has always been an important part of her life.

“Nature has always been a part of my life from a very young age,” she said.

Those experiences continue to influence what she creates.

Smith also draws inspiration from her daughter, who has become something of a test subject for her designs.

“Anything I create for my daughter always makes me so proud,” she said.

Her daughter’s role in Smith’s artistic journey is especially significant because one of the first major pieces she created was a jingle dress for her.

“I always test and trial my designs on my daughter,” Smith said.

The connection between art, family and culture is evident in the pieces Smith creates. Rather than treating traditional clothing as something confined to the past, she is incorporating it into the lives of younger generations.

That same philosophy carries into the workshops she offers.

Smith teaches cultural concepts and hands-on skills, giving participants an opportunity not only to learn about Indigenous traditions but also to create something themselves.

Among her offerings are teepee teachings, Seven Grandfather Teachings and medicine wheel teachings.

The Seven Grandfather Teachings are traditional Anishinaabe principles intended to provide guidance for living in harmony with others and with creation, with each teaching represented by an animal.

Her workshops also provide practical introductions to art forms such as sewing and beading.
The result is an approach to cultural education that is hands-on and creative.

Building something of her own

Smith is also beginning to expand her work as an artist and small-scale entrepreneur.

She recently began producing her own stickers, including designs featuring raspberries, blueberries and animals.

The 3-inch-by-3-inch stickers come in both glossy and matte finishes, and Smith has been taking pre-orders.

It is a small new product line, but one that represents a larger goal.

“I’m super excited to be releasing stickers,” she said.

Smith hopes to eventually branch out further with her sewing and design skills.

The evolution of her work reflects the advice she would give to other young Indigenous artists who are considering putting their work on the market.

“I encourage any young artist to follow their heart and soul when creating,” she said.

Whether an artist sells their work or gives it away, Smith believes creativity itself is worth pursuing.
“I think anyone who has a creative mind should express that area of themselves with the world.”

From art to the soccer field

Smith’s work with young people extends beyond cultural education.

She is also a coach with the Boreal Bears soccer program, and this summer she helped lead a U-7 team to a gold medal at the 2026 Alberta Indigenous Games.

The team went undefeated throughout the three-day competition.

“I am so proud of my Boreal Bears U-7 soccer team,” Smith said in a post following the tournament. “We worked so hard since the end of May preparing for this competition.”

The team brought together Indigenous children from communities across Alberta, along with one young player who travelled all the way from Newfoundland to compete.

For the players, it was their first Alberta Indigenous Games.

The team finished the tournament as Tier 1 gold medal winners.

Smith said she was proud of what the young athletes accomplished.

The success has also encouraged her to continue building the program.

She plans to hold tryouts next year and hopes to have both a U-7 and U-9 Boreal Bears team.

“We were a mixed team from Alberta,” Smith said. “We had Indigenous kids from all sorts of communities, we had one young player come all the way from Newfoundland.”

“It was our very first year at Indigenous Games and we’re hoping to come back.”

Keeping culture moving forward

Although Smith’s interests range from sewing machines and beads to soccer fields and stickers, there is a common thread running through much of what she does: creating opportunities for people to connect.

Her artwork connects her to her Métis and Cree heritage. Her workshops give others an opportunity to learn about Indigenous teachings and traditional creative practices. Her work with children gives young athletes a chance to compete, build friendships and represent their communities.

For Smith, those different activities do not necessarily exist separately.

They are all ways of creating something and passing something on.

She sees traditional art not simply as a finished product, but as a process of learning — one that can continue to evolve while remaining connected to the culture and land that inspired it.

And as she expands her own artistic practice, Smith is encouraging other young Indigenous artists to do the same.

“Follow their heart and soul when creating,” she said.

For Smith, that has meant following hers from the forests and lakes around Slave Lake, into sewing and beading, onto the soccer field and into the community — and seeing where creativity takes her next.

William Hetherington
Lakeside Leader