There’s something special about Sally Milne.
Using only her teeth and carefully harvested birch bark, she transforms paper-like layers into a distinctive and unique work of art.
Motifs of bees, dragonflies, flowers, leaves, and vines intertwine and participate in telling a story, touching on themes of Interconnectedness, Balance and Harmony.
In the early 1990s, Cree Elder Sally Milne decided she was going to become the best in the world at something. Precisely what that something was going to be, she was yet to decide.
Milne first considered cross-country skiing, but she had very little experience with the winter sport. But the date of a popular, all-abilities competition was approaching and she thought the event might be a good opportunity to measure her potential. Before it arrived, however, event organizers asked her to provide some prizes in the form of birch bark bitings she'd just recently begun to create.
"I'm now one of the four most renowned bark biters in the world,'' Milne proclaims, her small smile growing into a hearty laugh as she adds: "There's a total of four of us in the world!''
Milne credits her traditional upbringing on the trap line -- with helping her to value the goals of balance and harmony in her adult life.
Text by Dave Yanko / Virtual Saskatchewan
“With only a small handful of artists practicing this art form, each piece of art is actually a rare piece of history.”
Elder Sally: Media & Mentions
"When the Grandfathers look at you they can see where your heart is at,'' says Milne. "You have to love yourself before you can love others. You have to respect yourself before you can respect others.''
She says that birch bark biting almost disappeared completely when her own generation was sent to residential school. Today Milne passes her knowledge on to youth in her community.
“Sally’s leadership in preserving Indigenous knowledge and cultural teachings has earned her widespread recognition,” concluded Daigneault. “Her tireless efforts ensure the promotion and preservation of Woodland Cree culture for future generations.”
"The old people, when they teach you something, it's in symbolic teachings -- everything they taught you was how you should remember it. But in the showing you, it also meant something else -- that is a deeper knowledge that you carried."
““The forest is home to me. I love being in the forest.”