My name is Darcy Good Crow; my Lakota name is Wapaha Ska’ Win/White Lance Woman.

I’m a mother of three beautiful children; Jaylin, Janessa, and Jada.

I currently reside on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota.

I started doing artwork in high school. My first beading project was to learn the peyote stitch, which is usually the hardest and most complex. I realized I loved this work and continued on learning different styles of beadwork over the years. Eventually, it grew on its own, in a way I never imagined.

In my late teens, I received a dream from our spirit ancestors. In the dream, “Double Woman or Winyan Numpa,” came to me. She said she was bringing some gifts. Double Woman or Winyan Numpa was known in our Lakota folklore. She appeared to ancestors in our past as having two faces, (one face looks real old and the other face looks young). She brought many gifts to our people and our young women of our tribe were told to look out for her in their dreams, because she would bring good luck and bring good things to their families.

She said she was bringing the gift of song/voice and the ability to make songs; secondly, she said she was bringing the gift of beadwork/quillwork; and the final gift was the ability to multitask (doing the artwork & taking care of children/family), and successfully provide for our families.

As a young woman, this dream was HUGE. It definitely led the way in many designs that came forward. I later learned through the beadwork/quillwork that it has a spirit tribe of its own and they communicate to us through the designs. The idea was to bring healing to the people and the healing would come through the designs and prayer/meditation. More recently, I was guided to share the story behind the beadwork for future conversations of learning and discovery of self for generations to come.

Today, we are in the process of rebuilding through healing; and replenishing our way of life through “western education” and “spiritual knowledge.” We are re-learning what it means to be a “good relative” to one’s self and to others, incorporating a peaceful transition into a new way for our people. We are definitely stepping out of the “emotional rut,” after experiencing being removed from our homelands, the Black Hills; and living through the residential school experience.