Ruth Cuthand (b. 1954) was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan of Plains Cree and Scottish ancestry, and belongs to Little Pine Cree Nation on Treaty 6 Territory in Saskatchewan. Acknowledged as one of Canada’s preeminent contemporary artists, her practice continues to contribute to Canadian and Saskatchewan art history through artistic production and community engagement. Since the 1980’s, Cuthand has remained a leading figure within the contemporary arts landscape, and their work provides thoughtful, honest, and critical accounts of what it means to be Indigenous and a woman in Canada. Her ability to tell stories that live beyond the aural and into the visual is her life’s work. Cuthand believes the bead is alive and because it is alive, it is a story-keeper. Cuthand has exhibited widely at both national and international venues, and recently had a solo survey exhibition at the University of Saskatchewan College Art Galleries in 2020 titled Ruth Cuthand: Beads in the Blood, curated by Felicia Gay.