Melissa Peter-Paul is a Mi'kmaw artist from Abegweit First Nation,[1] [2] Epekwitk/Prince Edward Island. Her work is primarily Mi'kmaq quillwork, and utilizes porcupine quills, along with birch bark, sweet grass, and spruce root.[3] [4] She has won multiple awards for her work, which has been featured in group exhibitions in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Maine, as well as publications.[5] In addition to her quillwork, Peter-Paul has designed a crosswalk in Charlottetown. In 2019, the city was also the location of her first solo exhibition.
Peter-Paul lives on Epekwitk, with her two sons.
Quillwork is a traditional Mi'kmaq craft, but is no longer commonly practised.[6] Peter-Paul's great-great-grandmother was a quiller, and examples of her work can be found in the Nova Scotia Archives. Peter-Paul was first introduced to the craft by her cousin. Additionally, her parents help her harvest ingredients for her work.
Peter-Paul considers her work a revival of the art form, as well as carrying on her family tradition. She has stated, "The ancestors' presence when I do quillwork is so strong and I really feed off of it", as well as that it is "integral" to her identity as a Mi'kmaw person. She is a founding member of The Quill Sisters, "a community of skilled quill workers on Epekwitk that seeks to revitalize the traditional art form through collaborative projects".