After getting her bachelor's and master's degrees, working for nonprofits and starting a family, Natalie Mitchell-Fuller never thought that she would return to a pastime that she used to enjoy as a teenager to make money. But that is exactly what happened.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mitchell-Fuller returned to her childhood hobbies of beading and crafting. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and working for the Native American Youth and Family Center in Portland, she started to learn and incorporate more traditional Native designs and techniques into her work.
kAm(96? D96 H2D E@=5 E92E D96 4@F=5 >2<6 >@?6J H:E9 96C 362565 2?5 6>3C@:56C65 A:646D[ |:E496==\uF==6C E@@< E96 =62A 2?5 DE2CE65 D6==:?8 96C }2E:G6 2CE]k^Am
kAmq@C? ;FDE @FED:56 t= !2D@[ %6I2D[ |:E496==\uF==6C >@G65 E@ vC6D92> H96? D96 H2D f[ 8C@H:?8 FA :? E96 4:EJ D96 92D 42==65 9@>6 7@C b_ J62CD] $96 8C25F2E65 7C@> r6?E6??:2= w:89 $49@@= H96C6 D96 >6E 96C 7FEFC6 9FD32?5]k^Am
kAmQp7E6C 9:89 D49@@=[ x H@C<65 2E $E2C3F4<D 7@C `e J62CD 2?5 AFE >JD6=7 E9C@F89 |E] w@@5 r@>>F?:EJ r@==686[Q |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm|:E496==\uF==6C 8C25F2E65 7C@> |E] w@@5 :? a__e 2?5 62C?65 96C 2DD@4:2E6VD 568C66 :? >6?E2= 962=E9 2?5 9F>2? D6CG:46D] %96?[ D96 62C?65 2 32496=@CVD 568C66 :? D@4:2= H@C< 2E r@?4@C5:2 &?:G6CD:EJ :? a__g 2?5 7@==@H65 E92E FA H:E9 2 >2DE6CVD 568C66 :? D@4:2= H@C< 2E !@CE=2?5 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ :? a_`_[ 2== H9:=6 H@C<:?8 2?5 DE2CE:?8 2 72>:=J]k^Am
kAmp7E6C C646:G:?8 96C 568C66D[ |:E496==\uF==6C DE2CE65 H@C<:?8 7@C E96 }2E:G6 p>6C:42? *@FE9 2?5 u2>:=J r6?E6C W}p*pX :? :ED 4@>>F?:EJ 56G6=@A>6?E 56A2CE>6?E] xE H2D E96C6 D96 3642>6 24BF2:?E65 H:E9 EC25:E:@?2= 3625:?8 E649?:BF6D]k^Am
kAmQx 925 366? 3625:?8 7@C 7F? D:?46 x H2D 2 E66?286C] qFE H96? x C62==J H2?E65 E@ =62C? >@C6 EC25:E:@?2= C:A DE:49 2?5 7C:?86 3625:?8[ x H2D =F4<J 6?@F89 E@ 36 H@C<:?8 2E }p*p[Q |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5] Q%96C6 H2D 2 =@E @7 4F=EFC6 6IAC6DD65 E96C6 2?5 2 =@E @7 7@=<D H6C6 H:==:?8 E@ 96=A >6 =62C?]Qk^Am
kAmw62=:?8 E9C@F89 2CEk^Am
kAm(96? 96C 9FD32?5 DE2CE:?8 2 86?6C2= 4@?EC24E:?8 3FD:?6DD C6>@56=:?8 9@>6D [ |:E496==\uF==6C 564:565 E@ H@C< 7C@> 9@>6 2?5 E2<6 42C6 @7 E96:C D@?D]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ :? a_`e[ |:E496==\uF==6CVD @=56DE D@? 5:65[ =62G:?8 2? :>>6?D6 9@=6 :? 96C 962CE] Q(92E6G6C >FD6 E92E H2D :?D:56 >6 E92E :?DA:C6D 4C62E:@? H6?E 5@C>2?E[Q |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5] Qx 4@F=5?VE 6G6? 7:?5 :E :? >6 E@ ;FDE 5@ D:>A=6 4C27ED] %96 @?=J E9:?8 x 4@F=5 5@ 2E E96 E:>6 H2D 4=62?[ 4@@< 2?5 A2J E96 3:==D]Qk^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 E96 A2:? >256 6G6? D:>A=6 E2D<D 2 DEC2:?[ |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5 96C ?6H3@C? 3C@F89E 96C 324< 7C@> 96C 566A6DE =@HD] Qw2G:?8 >J J@F?86DE C62==J AFD965 >6 E@ 36 AC6D6?E[ 3642FD6 x 925 E@ 7:?5 D@>6 ;@J 2?5 92AA:?6DD 7@C 9:>[Q |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5]k^Am
kAmp=@?8 H:E9 E2<:?8 42C6 @7 96C D@?[ |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5 DFCC@F?5:?8 96CD6=7 H:E9 7C:6?5D[ 92G:?8 4C27E ?:89ED 2?5 4C62E:?8 2CE 2=D@ 96=A65]k^Am
kAmQ%96 3625D 5@?VE =6E J@F 8@ 72DE[ J@F 92G6 E@ D=@H 5@H?[ 92G6 E@ 36 4@F?E:?8 2?5 J@F 92G6 E@ 36 C62==J 7@4FD65[Q |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5] Qx K@?6 @FE 2?5 =:DE6? E@ >J A@542DE 2?5 7@4FD]Qk^Am
kAm|:E496==\uF==6C D2:5 E92E E96 2CE[ 7C:6?5D 2?5 96C ?6H3@C? D@? 96=A65 96C 86E E9C@F89 E92E E@F89 E:>6 :? 96C =:76]k^Am
kAm|2<:?8 2CE 282:?k^Am
kAm(96? 96C J@F?86DE D@? 8@E @=56C[ |:E496==\uF==6C H2?E65 E@ 7:?5 D@>6E9:?8 ;FDE 7@C 96C] Q~?46 @FC =:EE=6DE @?6 8@E @=5 6?@F89[ x 564:565 x H2?E65 E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8 7@C >JD6=7[Q |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5 Q%92E :D H96? x C62==J 8@E 324< :?E@ 3625:?8 2?5 6G6? 8@E >JD6=7 2? 6>3C@:56CJ >249:?6]Qk^Am
kAms6DA:E6 <?@H:?8 }2E:G6 3625:?8 E649?:BF6D 2?5 92G:?8 2 ?6H D6?D6 @7 AFCA@D6[ |:E496==\uF==6C DE2CE65 D>2==] pE 7:CDE[ D96 ;FDE >256 2CE 7@C 96C 7C:6?5D]k^Am
kAmQ(92E C62==J 8@E :E 8@:?8 H2D E96 A2?56>:4[Q |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5] Q!6@A=6 ;FDE 4@F=5?VE 7:?5 >2D<D[ D@ x DE2CE65 >2<:?8 }2E:G6\:?DA:C65 >2D<D[ 3642FD6 x 7@F?5 2 C62==J 8@@5 A2EE6C?]Qk^Am
kAm|:E496==\uF==6C D2:5 D96 >256 2?5 D@=5 9F?5C65D @7 >2D<D] ~?46 E96 >2D< @C56CD DE2CE65 E@ D=@H 5@H?[ D96 DE2CE65 4C62E:?8 >@C6 2CE:DE:4 A:646D =:<6 62CC:?8D 2?5 ;6H6=CJ]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 |:E496==\uF==6CVD 7C:6?5D E96? 42>6 E@ 96C H:E9 2? :562 E@ D6== 96C H@C< 2E E96 !@CE=2?5 x?5:86?@FD |2C<6EA=246]k^Am
kAm~?46 D96 H2D 23=6 E@ 86E :? 2?5 5@ H6== 2E E96 >2C<6E[ D96 2AA=:65 7@C E96 vC6D92> pCED u6DE:G2= 2?5 H2D 2446AE65] Q~?46 x 8@E :?[ E92E H2D H96? 6G6CJE9:?8 ;FDE 4=:4<65[Q |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5] Qp7E6C E92E x H2D 2AA=J:?8 7@C 6G6CJE9:?8]Qk^Am
kAmw6C 2CE C676C6?46D }2E:G6 p>6C:42? 56D:8?D 2?5 >@E:7D] |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5 D96 =@G6D D92C:?8 96C A6@A=6VD 9:DE@CJ 2?5 =2?8F286 2E D9@HD]k^Am
kAm|:E496==\uF==6C D2:5 E92E H96? E96 !@E2H2E@>: }2E:@? H2D C6>@G65 7C@> :ED =2?5[ H9:49 :D ?@H AC6D6?E\52J r9:428@[ 2?5 7@C465 :?E@ z2?D2D 2?5 E96? E@ ~<=29@>2[ >2?J 56D46?52?ED D42EE6C65 2C@F?5 E96 &]$] 2?5 r2?252] $96 @7E6? >66ED >6>36CD @7 E96 !@E2H2E@>: }2E:@? 2E 2CE D9@HD 2?5 4@??64ED H:E9 E96>]k^Am
kAmQx >6E 2 82= E92E 42>6 FA E@ >6 2E 2 D9@H 3642FD6 x 92G6 2 D:8? D2J:?8 E92E x 2> !@E2H2E@>: 2?5 D96 D2:5 D96 H2D 2=D@ !@E2H2E@>:[Q |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5] QqFE D96 H2D 7C@> A2CE @7 E96 ?2E:@? E92E H2D :? r2?252[ H9:49 :D D@ 4@@= E@ 962C E9:?8D =:<6 E92E]Qk^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 D96 2EE6?5D 5@K6?D @7 2CE D9@HD 2?5 D6==D 96C :E6>D @? [ D@>6 ?@?\}2E:G6 3FJ6CD 766= F?4@>7@CE23=6 AFC492D:?8 96C 2?5 @E96C }2E:G6 p>6C:42?DV AC@5F4ED] $96 D2:5 D@>6 3FJ6CD 2C6 H@CC:65 23@FE 4F=EFC2= 2AAC@AC:2E:@?[ H9:49 :D E96 AC24E:46 @7 E2<:?8 2 A:646 @7 2?@E96C 4F=EFC6 2?5 FD:?8 :E H:E9@FE 8:G:?8 4C65:E @C F?56CDE2?5:?8 :ED D:8?:7:42?46]k^Am
kAm|:E496==\uF==6C H2?ED A6@A=6 H9@ 766= ?6CG@FD 23@FE >2<:?8 DF49 AFC492D6D E@ F?56CDE2?5 E96 D:8?:7:42?46 @7 E96 A:646 E96J 2C6 3FJ:?8[ H92E }2E:G6 p>6C:42? EC:36 @C ?2E:@? E96 A6CD@? H9@ >256 :E :D 2 >6>36C @7 2?5 E@ C6=2J E92E :?7@C>2E:@? H96? D@>6@?6 4@>A=:>6?ED E96 A:646]k^Am
kAmQ(96? D@>6@?6 4@>A=:>6?ED E96> @? E96:C 362565 62CC:?8D[ x H2?E A6@A=6 E@ D2J[ V@9 x 3@F89E E9:D 7C@> 2 >6>36C @7 E96 !@E2H2E@>: }2E:@?[VQ |:E496==\uF==6C D2:5]k^Am