I have created my wearable art under the name JShine Designs and is currently working out of Edmonton, Alberta. I left my professional career to pursue art full-time. My art practice is influenced by my Cree roots, my lived experience and the land surrounding me.
I combine both traditional and contemporary beading styles into my art. Throughout my practice I utilizes elements from the land such as traditionally tanned hides, which I am reclaiming the practice and art of hide tanning. From the hides I tan, I uses these hides within my jewelry and I am apart of the entire creative process. From tanning the moose hides, to creating beautiful art and then selling these unique pieces on my website. Beading and working on hides has reawakened my spirit and I find beading as a way to express myself by creating beautiful adornments for everyday wear.

Regards to training, I hold two degrees Business Administration Degree and a Bachelor of Arts, Major in Native Studies, minor Women Gender Studies. Regards to land-based learning, I have Indigenous Knowledge Holders that mentor me along my hide tanning journey. I currently share knowledge around traditional hide tanning with community and recently hosted an urban hide tanning downtown Edmonton. The môswa was and is vital to our community, we have a deep-rooted connection to the môswa from harvest to hide tanning, to the many uses it brings to our families. Every hide is different and has its own story, from the place it lived, to where it was harvested, what community it fed and how everything in the moose was used. Land-based learning is important to me and I continue to learn from our Elders here around my area. This is where most of my “training” is, it’s on the land with our Elders and Knowledge Holders.

Some significant accomplishments this past year, my jewelry was apart of Lululemon Indigenous campaign. Other significant accomplishments, when I share knowledge about hide tanning seeing Indigenous folks reclaiming these practices within their own community. For example, I flew up to northern Manitoba & it had been 30 years since their last hide camp, they now are going to continue hosting a hide camp. Also seeing young people start their hide journey, this is what I live for is the continued transmission of knowledge being passed down. Planting seeds where I can, this is what I am most grateful for is working within community. I say I don’t work for myself, I work for the future <3