What started out as a hobby for a Manitoba artist has turned into a new career — and a new platform for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Originally from Winnipeg, Sagkeeng First Nation member Mish Daniels has been creating beaded necklaces since she was 13, and began selling them at local markets and powwows.
Earlier this week, one of her necklaces was worn by international movie star and American talk show host Whoopi Goldberg.
Daniels said Goldberg was gifted the red jingle dress medallion by a customer of hers, Connie Greyeyes, who happened to run into the star by chance at a Vancouver hotel.
Greyeyes had ordered the jewelry to help bring attention to and start a conversation around missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls while at a conference in British Columbia.
The necklace caught Goldberg’s eye.
“It’s a dying art form and that’s what I love about Whoopi, she’s going to empower the young girls.”
Goldberg wore the necklace for two days on the show, and talked about what has been happening to women across North America.
Daniels says the outpouring of support has been overwhelming and a truly humbling experience for her.
“I did my niece’s first one and now I have dancers from right across North America ordering those dancer medallions like the kind Whoopi got,” Daniels said.
“I can’t keep up ’cause my phone and the inboxes, but I will get to all of them.”
More than 300 order requests have come in to Daniels since Goldberg wore the medallion on television, with the numbers going up each day. Daniels says she’ll get to new requests after the Christmas season.
“It’s an honour for them to ask me and make something for their missing loved ones.”
Daniels noted that if the support continues, she’ll make beading her full time job.
“I’m going to be beading forever, but I don’t mind,” she said.
“Beading is my passion.”