Ashley Brightnose of Four Pines
Ashley is a Cree Artist from Northern Manitoba. She was raised in Southern Alberta and currently resides in Edmonton. She has ties to Tataskweyak First Nation through her mother.
Ashley learned to weave dreamcatchers in 2006 after switching schools in grade 11 where she was put in touch with the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) Educator, Deb Lloyd. In addition to dreamcatchers, Deb taught Ashley how to create traditional drums, jingle and hoop dance, and offered opportunities to teach dreamcatcher weaving to elementary students. Ashley attended a teacher’s conference where she offered insight on how to better support Indigenous students in the public school system and was active in anti-bullying awareness.
In Summer 2022, Ashley taught herself to bead, which prompted a business rebrand from Duchess Dreamcatchers to Four Pines. The “Four” in Four Pines represents her mother’s four children, her birthday – the fourth day of the fourth month, and the sacredness the number holds in Indigenous culture. The “Pines” in Four Pines represents Ashley’s favourite tree, with childhood memories of crawling towards the centre and climbing to the top and the resiliency and rootedness it takes to take on life’s challenges.
Artist Medium(s)
Bead work Design Artist, Dreamcatchers
