About Us

Hello!

My name is Sam Fleshman and I am the entrepreneur, creator, crafter and teacher behind Simply Significants.

A few quick facts about me:

I am Snohomish/Snoqualmie/European/Scottish
I have 3 wonderful children: Lyam 16y, Jaxon 10y, and Lily 5y who are Taku River Tlingit.
I am a born and raised Yukoner and we live in Whitehorse, Yukon.

How I started Beading

I started my beading journey in 2009. The first thing I made was a pair of mitts for my oldest son. Since then, I have made earrings, wristlets, moccasins, fur hats, vests, mukluks, hair clips, patches and wrap arounds.

My first pair of moccasins

I made my first pair of moccasins in 2012 for my wedding. I wanted them to be special, made just for me. It was difficult to find the materials and someone to guide me on that first pair of moccasins. I found a pattern online and made them without any direction (oh my you should see the heel), I also made each of my bridesmaids a pair of their own.

Simply Significants, Then and Now

Like many women, I started my business Simply Significants so that I could stay home with my kids. It started with me selling moccasins and earrings and it quickly turned into so much more!

In early 2021, I taught my first workshop. I’ll admit it was a bit tricky at first but we did it! It is an incredible feeling to see the pride in the participants faces when they completed their very first pair moccasins. I knew then that teaching others to make moccasins is what I wanted to do.

But my journey doesn't stop there in 2023, I proudly joined forces with Connected North, a program dedicated to providing remote Indigenous communities with access to interactive learning experiences. Through this partnership, I strive to offer Indigenous students from Kindergarten to 12th grade unique opportunities to thrive.

My mission is to strengthen the appreciation for traditional
skills. Through hand-on workshops and storytelling. By
fostering a fun learning environment. Welcoming to all, my
students complete their projects. Building both confidence in
their skills and themselves.
I am proud of the work that I do because I see the change in
celebrating traditions from generations now and future.