Like many Métis beaders, I started this art as a way to connect with my missing culture. I've been sewing and crafting for over 30 years, and now beading since 2019. 

Although there are Desjarlais people all across Canada, my family comes from the Red River area. My grandfather moved to BC in the early 1940s, and I was born here. I currently live in a small village in the Kootenays, surrounded by mountains and forests. 

I chose Mousetracks as a name after the small beads that come off the stems in traditional Métis beadwork; it reminds of the small steps we all take to stay connected.