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The Saskatchewan Teacher Who Turns Fish Scales Into Art
In Buffalo Narrows, Alison Waite has spent over 20 years cleaning, dyeing and layering fish scales into intricate handmade art
Published: July 19, 2026
Alison Waite, a land language culture coordinator at Twin Lakes Community School in Buffalo Narrows, Sask., has turned an unusual material into striking artwork: fish scales and bones. After freshly caught fish are skinned and filleted, she boils the carcasses to separate the bones and scales, cleans them meticulously, and dyes them with fabric dye so they can be stored for years before use. Using tweezers and scissors, she layers the dried scales onto felt backing to create colourful, nature-inspired designs. Waite learned the tradition from her aunt and has kept it alive for two decades, hosting workshops that teach both the preparation process and the artistry itself. She says the work is painstaking but meditative, and that people are often surprised to learn the delicate, fingernail-like pieces come from the fish caught right in her community's lakes.
