The Art of Fingerweaving originated among the First Nations of the Eastern Woodlands. As they began trading with the French, they acquired wool, and the belts woven by the First Nations became colourful. These colourful belts were so beautiful that the French adopted them as well! As French fur traders began to move west, many of them took wives from Western First Nations. Their children, the Métis, carried on the fur trade tradition, sporting the sash of their forefathers. To this day, the sash is an integral part of Métis culture, and the art of finger weaving has become one of our proudest traditions!