Making Brave Space: Beading, Reconciliation, and Urban Indigenous Geographies.

This article examines how beadwork, a traditional Indigenous art form, fosters solidarity, cultural exchange, and the formation of urban Indigenous identities within Canada's capital city, Ottawa. Drawing on interviews with 13 young Indigenous post-secondary students and artists, it highlights beading circles—particularly those on university campuses—as "brave spaces" that support Indigenous cultural resurgence, social networking, and healing amid ongoing settler colonial challenges. The study situates beadwork within broader processes of Indigenous urbanism, where Indigenous peoples assert symbolic, physical, and political space in cities, contributing to an Indigenous right to the city and the national project of truth, reconciliation, and healing. It also discusses the role of beadwork in educating both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants, promoting awareness, and challenging colonial legacies in urban environments.