Florence Ryder

c. 1935–2005 Standing Buffalo First Nation, Saskatchewan, Canada

Florence Ryder was a citizen of the Standing Buffalo Dakota First Nation located in the Qu’Appelle Valley of southern Saskatchewan.

She learned to make rugs when she was ten years old from her mother Elizabeth Ryder. Ryder’s designs were floral-based until a brief stint with the Sioux Handicraft Co-operative encouraged her to adopt geometrical Dakota designs. Unlike the latch-hooked Ta-hah-sheena wool rugs of the Co-operative, Ryder’s hooked rugs are made with used clothing (mostly polyester pants) acquired from the Friendship Centre in the nearby town of Fort Qu’Appelle, resulting in colours that reflect the fashion trends of the recent past. Inspiration for her designs came from a variety of sources, including books, magazines, television, and powwows.