NWT Arts

My creative practice centers on crafting traditional adornments and functional beaded items, ranging from contemporary statement earrings to moccasins, slippers, and mittens. Rooted in my upbringing in Sambaa K'e—an isolated fly-in community—my artistic foundation was shaped by a lifetime of immersion in Dene culture and direct mentorship from my grandmother, mother, and community matriarchs.

My design aesthetic blends traditional techniques with an edgy, moody sensibility, often featuring dark and neutral palettes. Because my work evolves with the natural world, my color choices shift seasonally: delicate pastels in the spring, vibrant hues in the summer, rich jewel tones in the fall, and cool tones in the winter. Every piece is an exercise in creative problem-solving—figuring out how floral petals naturally fall or how colors transition—ensuring that each finished work is entirely unique.

This craft is deeply collaborative and sustained by family traditions. My mother, an accomplished hide tanner in my home community, often supplies the moose hides that form the foundation of much of my work, alongside sustainably harvested porcupine quills. My grandfather, an experienced trapper, provides the beaver fur I incorporate into my pieces. This lineage of makers influences my work profoundly. My late grandmother—whose intricate birch bark baskets, mukluks, and moose-hide dolls were a testament to a life spent creating functional art to provide for her family—remains a daily inspiration. Gathering dropped beads from her workspace as a child sparked my own artistic path, and beading continues to serve as a connection to her memory.

Honoring the Dene law of sharing knowledge and resources, I view teaching as an essential component of my artistic practice. Following the example of my mother, who integrated Elders into the local school to teach youth traditional crafts, I am committed to passing these generational skills forward to keep our culture vibrant and alive.