Born in Arizona but raised between Pittsburgh, PA and Bismarck, North Dakota, I didn’t have the fortune of inheriting an abundance of cultural knowledge. Instead I have spent the majority of my adulthood searching out my history and learning traditional ways. 

In 2014 I learned how to bead from my great aunt, DJoyce Kitson. Making my first pair of moccasins for my wedding. This is when the fire sparked and a passion for creating was ignited. 

I developed a passion for hunting, for the main purpose of limiting my food intake to prioritize the consumption of only animals I hunt, it was here I felt a need to better use the entire animal and honor its sacrifices. With the help of my husband I began using antlers for necklaces and rings. Using a mixture of wood, bones and natural fibers I developed my own jewelry collection. 

Knowing I had an entire animal to use the next thing I learned was how to traditionally brain-tan hides. This included hunting the deer, processing the meat, and finishing the hide. The hides were used to create numerous pieces including moccasins for my own children.   

Deer, Elk and Moose are a few of my favorite meats, but Porcupine has become a popular item in my home for Quill work. With the help of the North Dakota Council of the Arts, DJoyce Kitson taught me how to do traditional Quill work from the Porcupines I have harvested at our ranch in western North Dakota.

 As an enrolled member of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, I take great pride in sharing my traditions and incorporating them in modern life. I plan to learn as many traditional practices as possible with the intention of ensuring they are passed down for generations to come. 

I'm melanie

about me