About Patuo’kn

Patuo’kn Illustration and Design is run by siblings Kassidy and Kaylyn Bernard from We’koqma’q First Nation, Unama’ki - the 7th district of Mi’kma’ki. Their community’s name We’koqma’q means Where the Ice Ends, and in the warmer months it is known as We’kopa’q which means Where the Water Ends. Unama’ki means Land of the Fog (also known as Cape Breton Island), and Mi’kma’ki is the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq.

Patuo’kn was established in late April 2019 when Kassidy and Kaylyn decided to launch their dream of running a business together, following several years of freelancing. Recognizing that there was a gap to fill in the design field with the lack of Indigenous representation - they soon realized the high demand for design and illustration services for Indigenous peoples by Indigenous peoples, and have since done their best to fill this role.

Patuo’kn is an L’nu (Mi’kmaw) word for driftwood. The idea for the name originally came from their grandfather Saln (Charlie) Bernard, who ran his own roadside business selling handmade driftwood crafts just off of Highway 105 where he lived in We’koqma’q.

To honour their language, family and creative history, they decided to carry on their Grandfather’s business name. Their grandfather’s knack for teaching passerby’s about L’nu ways of life through his work was embedded in their father Robert Bernard, who has then passed these teachings down to them.

Now, after being in business for four years, Kassidy and Kaylyn have worked with over eighty clients, and are continuing to develop their own ways of sharing cultural awareness through visuals; with cultural revitalization and preservation at the forefront.

They focus on serving Mi’kmaw and other Indigenous clients; especially those who provide educational materials for learning Indigenous languages, culture, and practices. They also strive to work with local artisans and small businesses to strengthen and uplift the visual presence of L’nu culture in Mi’kma’ki.