Yagheli du (How are you?),
I’m Danielle, creator of Dena’ina Dreams. My cultural lineage is Dena’ina and Koyukon Athabascan. My mom is from Nondalton located in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska and my dad is from Galena along the Yukon River, Alaska. We are a matrilineal culture. I grew up on Dena’ina ełnena (lands) with my mom’s side of the family and this is the reason my small shop is called “Dena’ina Dreams”.
I started making dreamcatchers when I was 16 years old and have learned and expanded my designs the last 20 years. I love the meditative flow state of beading and enjoy the humility I gain from making mistakes even when it takes hours and broken needles, thread, and beads.
Photo by Emily Sullivan (https://ejsullivan.net)
When I’m not beading I’m usually hanging out with family and husband, walking our dog, doing yoga, planning a trip, or all of the above. I’ve ran a number of marathons, and walked the Camino de Santiago (500 miles) in Spain, Kumano Kodo in Japan, and the Everest Basecamp Trek in Nepal. I love the rhythm of longer treks. The time to walk and have that be the only thing on a schedule for a week or so is blissful and such a gift. It reminds me of my Ancestors in the Dena’ina regions of Bristol Bay. A future goal of mine is to walk the traditional routes from community to community and bead parts of the route.
Practicing stillness through beading is necessary to the health of my well-being.
Stillness, for me, doesn’t mean sitting still; it means meditation through movement. My Grandma Jessie Stickman on my Koyukon Athabascan side was an expert beader; her artwork was skilled with detail and color. She believed in the importance of sitting still and learning a hands on skill which includes the many lessons of humility, grace, patience, perseverance, and serenity. On my Dena'ina side, my Grandma Gladys Evanoff was skilled in knitting and storytelling. She valued our language and family and instilled in me the desire to title each beaded piece I make with a Dena'ina word or phrase, thus embodying the piece with our heritage. And my Grandma Janis is a master quilter, fabric artist, painter, and creative spirit who has inspired me over the years to try new designs with curiosity and joy.
Sukdu (story) and dleq’ (laughter) are vital parts of our Athabascan culture. Both are integrated in the pieces I create.
Grandma Jessie Stickman (Left), Grandma Gladys Evanoff (Middle), Grandma Janis Chambers (Right)
I used to make the dreamcatchers to give away and then began selling them about 12 years ago. I share new items when I can and appreciate the patience of customers with the lack of items to buy. This allows space for me to craft new designs and really enjoy the creativity process without the pressure of a timeline.
The goal of Dena’ina Dreams is to share my love of creating with those that connect to it. This small shop is a piece of my heart and I appreciate each of you for your support.