SHERMAYN MENICOCHE grew up in the small communities of Wrigley and Fort Simpson in the Northwest Territories. Her early years were spent surrounded by her parents, siblings, and grandparents in Wrigley before moving to Fort Simpson at age seven, where she eventually graduated high school. “It’s a small town, about 1,500 people,” she says.

She began her post-secondary journey through college in Yellowknife and Fort Smith, and eventually made the 20-hour drive to Lethbridge, Alberta to continue her studies at the University of Lethbridge. There she got involved with campus life through their student association, meeting people from different walks of life and settling into the rhythm of a new city. Over time, she earned a Bachelor of Management and a Nursing degree from the University of Lethbridge. Eventually, she found her way to growing her business, Midnight Sun Elegance, selling beadwork pieces.

It was through this business that Shermayn first connected with the Indigenous Friends Association (IFA). IFA’s Community Engagement Manager, Rosie Digout, met her at a market, and the two got to talking. What began as a conversation led to an invitation to speak as a guest speaker in a session, and eventually, Shermayn joined the IndigiTAL program as a participant.

At the time, she was already thinking about ways to expand her art into digital formats. “I wanted to create digital beading patterns and apply them to products — bags, notebooks, shirts,” she explains. But she had never used digital art tools before. “I didn’t even know where to start. I’d never played with Krita, Sketchbook, or Procreate.”

IndigiTAL gave her a space to learn those tools from scratch. She began experimenting with digital beadwork and floral designs, translating traditional patterns into a new medium. Her projects were rooted in beadwork, always with an eye toward supporting her business and bringing her art into new spaces. What stood out most, though, was the community within the program. “I really loved the social aspect,” she says. “I really missed being in a classroom environment and learning within that.”She also found herself rethinking what was possible. Now, Shermayn is looking ahead. She’s working on incorporating her digital art into more products and is even exploring website and graphic design for others. “I never thought about offering that before. But now I know I can.”

For anyone thinking about joining an IFA program, her advice is simple: “If someone can teach you for free, why not take the time to learn? You just have to commit — and you can do it from anywhere.”