Let’s meet Seekaahkweeta ‘Kayla Becker’, a Myaamia beadwork artist who was recently awarded first place in the adult mixed media category for her piece Kiiloona Myaamiaki at the Eugene V. Brown Memorial Art Show held at the Myaamia Heritage Museum & Archive.
Aya! Neewe ‘thank you’ for giving us an opportunity to learn more about you as a Myaamia artist. Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
aya, Kayla neehi seekaahkweeta weenswiaani. Hi, my name is Kayla. I am from Huntington, IN, but I currently live in Connersville, IN. I am married with six kids.
I graduated last December from Miami University with a degree in Computer Science. In January, I began working at the Myaamia Center as the Quality Assurance Analyst. In this role, I develop and improve digital resources that strengthen the Myaamia community’s cultural and language revitalization efforts. I’m grateful to contribute to a cause that is so deeply meaningful to me and excited to blend my passion for technology with my commitment to my heritage. For me, this work is truly a dream come true—allowing me to practice and share my culture while helping others connect and grow in meaningful ways.
I was really drawn to the beadwork pieces you submitted to the Eugene V. Brown Memorial Art Show held at the Myaamia Heritage Museum & Archive (MHMA) this summer. What inspired you to participate in the show?
Finding my Myaamia identity was an enlightening and emotional journey, and I want to encourage others to embrace who they are. I was inspired to enter these pieces into the art show by my desire to inspire others to find or better define their own Myaamia identity.
How long have you been doing beadwork? What first sparked your interest in the art form, and how did you learn to do it?
The first time I saw beadwork was about 15 years ago when a friend showed me some of his work. I immediately fell in love with the idea of using small beads to create designs. He taught me how to bead, and I have been doing it ever since. I find beading to be relaxing because it takes time and focus to get the designs to work. This allows me to forget outside stressors and put my energy into creating something beautiful. I love the progression of making a piece when I get to see my hard work and the design really come together.
Has beadwork influenced or helped you explore and strengthen your Myaamia identity? If so, in what ways?
When I first learned to bead 15 years ago, I was just beading to bead. I was creating designs without a purpose. When I came to Miami University and was able to be a part of the Myaamia Heritage Program, I got to learn more about my Myaamia identity. This challenged me to use that identity to strengthen my beadwork, which in turn further strengthened the connection to my identity.
Do you work in other artistic mediums as well?
I love to dabble in and explore any medium I can, but my main focus is beadwork.
How does your Myaamia identity influence your art, and in what ways have you incorporated it into your pieces?
My Myaamia identity is something I had to grow into. While finding my identity during the Myaamia Heritage Program, I also found myself as an artist. I learned how I can put thoughts, feelings, concepts, and meaning into my designs. I have used that to incorporate things like my appreciation for ribbonwork into beadwork, and I have used my ecological perspective as a Myaamia person by incorporating designs from nature.
What has been your favorite piece you’ve made, and why?
My favorite piece I’ve made is Kiiloona Myaamiaki, which is a spear-shaped dance stick. This is the first piece I made where I truly reflected on what it meant to be Myaamia. Every bead on the dance stick, which has more than 16,000 beads placed on it one at a time, was placed there with a purpose.
The spear represents the fight Myaamia people had, and continue to have, to keep our identity. The ribbonwork designs, though beaded, represent the cultural threads that link us to our ancestors. The fiery swirls show our passion to be Myaamia, and the flowers show our connection to the world around us. Both ends have the same design. One end is for our ancestors, and one end is for our people today. The lighter red diamonds at both ends represent our lasting connections to our ancestors.
Kiiloona Myaamiaki placed 1st in its category at the art show this year. What was it like to receive that recognition for such a powerful piece? Kiiloona Myaamiaki had so much of myself and what I had learned of Myaamia people put into it. The spear design was chosen because it has been a personal, but also a community battle for us to continue to grow in our Tribal identity. Kiiloona Myaamiaki placing 1st in its category helped me validate that I truly am finding myself as a Myaamia person, and hopefully I can inspire others and help them as they grow in their identity.
You recently graduated from the Myaamia Heritage Program at Miami University. Can you tell us more about that experience? Did it play a role at all in you pursuing other forms of Myaamia art?
I had been making beadwork for a long time, but the link between my beadwork and who I am as a Myaamia person was missing before joining the Myaamia Heritage Program. The program also allowed me the opportunity to learn other mediums to create artwork, such as ribbonwork, ribbon skirts, lacrosse sticks, and even food.
Where do you see your artistic journey going from here?
I hope to continue to expand my knowledge and experience in other Myaamia artforms, but I think beadwork will always be a central part of who I am as an artist. I have ideas on how I can create new pieces of work, parts of my Myaamia identity that I have not approached yet, such as being inspired by Myaamia stories.
What do you want other Myaamia people to know about your art? What about non-Myaamia people?
I want non-Myaamia people to know that my artwork, like my Myaamia identity, is not stagnant. It has come a long way over the years, but it will continue to grow in the future.
I want Myaamia people to know that it’s never too late to start. I did not learn how to do beadwork until I was an adult. It was not something I did all my life, nor was I in the works of defining my Myaamia identity until I was in my 30s. Don’t let age or lack of experience define you. There are people and resources to help you learn and grow.
Updated: 10/23/25
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