Rose Johnson

Maker

Designing custom regalia, creating traditional beadwork, and sharing Mi’kmaw cultural teachings.

Rose Marie Johnson, the founder of Ku’ku’kwes Mi’kmaw Crafts & Designs, is a passionate Mi’kmaw artisan based in Chapel Island, Nova Scotia. A self-taught seamstress, Rose Marie began sewing as a young mother, crafting school uniforms, baby clothes, and blankets for her children. Her love for sewing and traditional art deepened, leading her to study fashion design in Massachusetts in 1982.

During her time with the Boston Indian Council’s Team Program, Rose Marie learned to make drums, chokers, Navajo blankets, and other traditional crafts. She began attending powwows where she proudly wore her own handmade regalia, eventually channeling her creativity and cultural pride into a professional clothing line.

“I am most proud of my moccasins,” she shares. “I have a passion for what I do, and I love sharing that with others.” Today, Rose Marie continues to preserve Mi’kmaw traditions through her work, offering custom regalia, ribbon skirts, and beadwork. At Ku’ku’kwes Mi’kmaw Crafts & Designs, she also educates customers about the cultural significance behind her creations, including the importance of smudging and the connection of ribbon skirts to the earth.

“A lot of people want to know about the orange shirt, they want to know about residential schools, they want to know about the red dress. They hear it, but they don’t know about it. And when they have that physical item, it makes them want to learn more.”

Cultural Knowledge and Practices

Storytelling | Treaty Knowledge / Historian | Cultural Knowledge and Practices – Other

Language and Education

Mi’kmaw Language Learner | Cultural Education / Reconciliation Training / Consulting Services | Language and Education Other: Training obtained as being a support worker for Indigenous and worked at school for 20+ years.

Land-Based Learning and Traditional Practices

Fish | Medicine | Harvest: Plant-based medicines

Artistic and Creative Expression

Artist / Crafter: Painting, sewing, beading, storyteller | Designer: Moccasins, beading, seamstress, regalia, ribbon shirts/skirts, baptismal outfits.