Beading project honours 'incredibly powerful' stories of residential school children

WARNING: This story contains details some readers may find distressing.

Deborah Young admits she's not the most skilled beader. But when the remains of 215 children were uncovered in Kamloops, B.C., the social work student — whose parents met at a residential school — immediately turned to the traditional art form as a way to honour those children who never returned.

In July, Young put out a call for 215 baby vamps, which are the beaded patterns that top moccasins. She says she's been amazed by the nearly 200 creations she's received from as far away as California and the U.K., many from those who say they have never beaded before.

"I've just picked up beading myself not too long ago. But what I love about beads is that when you look at [them], when they're just scattered around the table, it's meaningless, right?" said Young.

"But when you start threading them you create images and those images tell stories."

For Young, the letters that arrive in the mail with the vamps are even more moving, telling the story of each child.

"All of the stories I've received have been incredibly powerful."