Tammy Beauvais facts for kids

Tammy Beauvais is a talented fashion designer from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake in Quebec, Canada. She creates beautiful clothing that celebrates Indigenous traditions and spirituality. In 1999, Tammy started her own company, Tammy Beauvais Designs. Her designs are known for being both modern and truly Indigenous.

Designing for a Living

Tammy Beauvais started designing clothes when she was just 13 years old. Her company, Tammy Beauvais Designs, began in 1999. It creates both modern and traditional Indigenous clothing. These clothes are perfect for special events and everyday wear.

What Tammy Beauvais Designs Makes

Tammy's company makes many different items. These include clothing, accessories, and even wedding outfits. They also created a unique board game called Pow-wow-opoly. You can find their apparel and sunglasses too.

Where You Can See Her Work

Tammy Beauvais's designs are so important that they are kept in museums. You can see her work in the collections of the McCord Museum, the Heard Museum, and the Budeskunsthalle Museum.

Gifts and Special Creations

Tammy Beauvais has created special pieces for important people.

• A beautiful beaded cape made by Beauvais was given to Michelle Obama. This gift came from the Canadian government. The cape had three special glass beads. These beads were family treasures belonging to Beauvais's family. Each beaded flower on the cape held one of these beads.
• In 2011, Beauvais designed a new scarf for Indigenous students. These scarves are now part of the graduation outfits at McGill University. They show how important Indigenous students are to the university.
• In 2012, Tammy's work was shown in Cody, Wyoming. This was part of the Cody High Style fashion show. Her designs in this show featured patterns of wampum, turtles, and feathers.

Famous People Who Wear Her Designs

Many well-known people have worn or own Tammy Beauvais's designs. These include:

• Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (who wore a winter white cape)
• Actor Robert De Niro (who owns a satin Tree of Peace Native Design vest)
• Actor Pierce Brosnan
• Pope John Paul II (who received a satin Katri Tekakwitha Native Design Scarf)
• Actor Lorne Cardinal
• Olympic athlete Waneek Horn-Miller
• Actor Eric Roberts

Tammy also designed "Sky Woman Capes" for Aline Chrétien. She was the former First Lady of Canada. These capes were given to all the First Ladies of the Americas, including Laura Bush.

Tammy's Life Journey

Tammy Beauvais was born in Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. In 1990, she left Kahnawake after a difficult time called the Oka Crisis. She moved to Manitoba to live with the Métis, Cree, and Ojibwe people. There, she found healing through traditional ceremonies. These included fasting, sweat lodges, and sun dance ceremonies. In 2004, she married into the Navajo Nation in Steamboat, Arizona.