Inuit Art Quarterly - Threads: Restitching Art Histories by Inuit Art Quarterly

CONTENTS

33.1

Inuit Art Quarterly Threads

Front

Features

Back CURATORIAL NOTES

60 ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓯᑯᓯᓛᕐᒥᑦ Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios by Roxane Shaughnessy

05 Contributors 07 From the Editor 08 Impact Update

REVIEW

64 Kudluajuk Ashoona Madrona Gallery by Natalia Esling

5 WORKS

14 Pattern Play HIGHLIGHTS

REVIEW

16 A sneak peek at

some current and upcoming exhibitions and projects. CHOICE

Moving with joy across the ice while my face turns brown from the sun Fazakas Gallery

by Karlene Harvey TRIBUTE

22 Mark Igloliorte by Stuart Keeler

68 Charlie Panigoniak Kelly Fraser Kudluajuk Ashoona

CHOICE

24 Makkuusi Qalingo Angutiggiq by Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk PROFILE

26 Darcie Bernhardt by Emily Henderson

30 Threading Memories by Krista Ulujuk Zawadski

Tracing the community and generational ties of a unique media.

LAST LOOK

72 Malaya Akulukjuk ON THE COVER

PORTFOLIO

42 The New Arctic Cool 5 Designers to Watch

Designers from the global Arctic make their mark.

Backstitch: Investigating the Nunatsiavut Embroidery Tradition  by Genevieve LeMoine and Susan A. Kaplan

LEGACY

70 News

A little-known collection is brought to light by returning home.

Myra Kukiiyaut (1929–2006 Qamani’tuaq) — Untitled (Dream scene) (detail) 1989 Duffel, felt and embroidery thread 91.4 × 115.6 cm COURTESY EXPANDINGINUIT.COM

ABOVE

Kudluajuk Ashoona (1958–2019 Kinngait) — Untitled (Figure in kimono) 2017 COURTESY MADRONA GALLERY REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION DORSET FINE ARTS

LEFT

Unidentified artist (Nain) — Embroidered square with inukuluit n.d. COURTESY THE PEARY-MACMILLAN ARCTIC MUSEUM, BOWDOIN COLLEGE PHOTO LUC DEMERS

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THE CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ART BIENNIAL KAHWATSIRETÁTIE: TEIONKWARIWAIENNA TEKARIWAIENNAWAHKÒNTIE

APRIL 23 - JUNE 21, 2020 GUEST CURATOR: DAVID GARNEAU ACCOMPANIED BY RUDI AKER & FAYE MULLEN AS IE’NIKÓNIRARE ART MÛR | LA GUILDE | MUSÉE MCCORD PIERRE-FRANÇOIS OUELLETTE ART CONTEMPORAIN GALERIE D’ART STEWART HALL TIOHTIÀ:KE (MONTRÉAL) WWW.BACA.CA

Image: Jon Corbett, Four Generations: digitally-generated spiral-beaded portraits (detail), 2015, single-channel video (one hour loop). Photo credit: Jon Corbett

HONOURING KINSHIP

MASTHEAD

CONTRIBUTORS

PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Inuit Art Quarterly is published by the Inuit Art Foundation.

Executive Director and Publisher Alysa Procida

President Heather Igloliorte Montreal, QC

Editorial Director Britt Gallpen

Secretary-Treasurer Erica Lugt Inuvik, NT

Established in 1987, the Inuit Art Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable organization that provides support to Canada’s Inuit arts communities and is the sole national body mandated to promote Inuit artists and art within Canada and internationally. This magazine relies on donations made to the Inuit Art Foundation, a registered charitable organization in Canada (BN #121033724RR0001) and the United States (#980140282). The Inuit Art Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada through contributions from the Reconciliation Secretariat at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage, as well as the Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Creates. Subscriptions subscribe@inuitartfoundation.org Canada: $33/yr. Excludes GST/HST. US: $44/yr. Elsewhere: $48/yr. GST/HST #121033724RT0001. The Inuit Art Quarterly is a member of Magazines Canada. Publication date of this issue: March 15, 2020 ISSN 0831-6708 Publication Mail Agreement #40050252 Postmaster send address changes to Inuit Art Foundation. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Inuit Art Foundation 1655 Dupont Street Toronto, ON, M6P 3T1 (647) 498-7717 inuitartfoundation.org ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. THE INUIT ART QUARTERLY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR UNSOLICITED MATERIAL. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE INUIT ART QUARTERLY ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE INUIT ART FOUNDATION. PRINTED IN CANADA. DISTRIBUTED BY MAGAZINES CANADA. FROM TIME TO TIME WE MAKE OUR SUBSCRIBERS’ NAMES AVAILABLE TO COMPANIES WHOSE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES WE FEEL MAY BE OF INTEREST TO YOU. TO BE EXCLUDED FROM THESE MAILINGS, PLEASE SEND YOUR REQUEST, ALONG WITH A COPY OF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION MAILING LABEL, TO THE ADDRESS ABOVE.

Managing Editor Michael Stevens Online Editor Jessica MacDonald Profiles Editor Emily Henderson Contributing Editor Napatsi Folger Contributing Editor John Geoghegan Editorial Assistant Crystal Shi Copy Editor Lisa Frenette

Eric Anoee Jr. Arviat, NU Reneltta Arluk Banff, AB Jamie Cameron Toronto, ON Patricia Feheley Toronto, ON Michael Massie Kippens, NL Ryan Rice Toronto, ON

Art Director Matthew Hoffman Colour Gas Company Printing Interprovincial Group

PROGRAMS Igloo Tag Coordinator Blandina Attaarjuaq Makkik

Programs Support Coordinator Serena Ypelaar

Igloo Tag Facilitator Bruce Uvilluq

Inuvialuit Settlement Region Community Liaison Darcie Bernhardt

Archives Assistant Magdalen Lau Archival Research Officer Shamila Karunakaran Archival Research Officer Brenna Middleton

Karlene Harvey is an illustrator and writer who lives on the unceded and ancestral territories of the Coast Salish people. She is a member of the Tsilhqot’in First Nation with family ties to the Carrier and Syilx Nations. She is currently studying Indigenous Literature at the University of British Columbia. PAGE 66

Genevieve LeMoine

—

Archives Coordinator Joanna McMann

Karlene Harvey

Susan A. Kaplan is an Arctic anthropologist and archaeologist, and Director of the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum and Arctic Studies Center. Most of her research focuses on understanding how prehistoric and historic Inuit living in Nunatsiavut have adapted to environmental change as well as contact with Western groups. PAGE 54

Advertising Manager Nicholas Wattson

Administrative Assistant Brittany Holliss

Natalia Esling is a researcher, dramaturg, teacher and editor. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at UBC and holds a PhD in Theatre & Performance Studies from the University of Toronto. Her work focuses on audience experience and performance-asresearch methods. PAGE 64

Susan A. Kaplan

Fact Checker Amy Prouty

Development Manager Christa Ouimet

Natalia Esling

Nunatsiavut Community Liaison Holly Andersen Nunavik Community Liaison Nancy Saunders Nunavut Community Liaison Jesse Tungilik Southern Canada West Community Liaison Alberta Rose Williams

—

EDITORIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Genevieve LeMoine is an archaeologist and Curator/Registrar of the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum and Arctic Studies Center. She has worked at archaeological sites across the Arctic where she has studied bone technology, experimental archaeology, women in prehistory and the history of Inuit/Western contact. PAGE 54

Krista Ulujuk Zawadski Krista Ulujuk Zawadski was raised in Igluligaarjuk (Chesterfield Inlet) and currently calls Kangiqliniq (Rankin Inlet), NU, home. Zawadski holds an MA in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia and has focused her education and career on Arctic anthropology, museology and collections-based research, with an emphasis on fostering accessibility to collections for Inuit. She is currently a PhD candidate at Carleton University and works for the Government of Nunavut as a curator. PAGE 30

Mary Dailey Desmarais Kim Latreille Samia Madwar Sarah Milroy Taqralik Partridge Dominique Ritter Elizabeth Qulaut

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Martha Flaherty Cultural Ambassador

ÂŠ Kristian Bogner, Dennis Minty, Danny Catt, Scott Forsyth

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FROM THE EDITOR

This issue of the IAQ on Threads, bursting as it is with colour and movement and joy, is a welcome arrival and a reminder that, despite the darkest and longest of days, spring will eventually come again. This past winter was especially difficult for many of our staff, friends and colleagues as it brought tremendous and deeply felt losses. In particular, the passing of singer-songwriter and activist Kelly Fraser this past December devastated the world and elicited a response so visceral it’s difficult to capture here. Fraser was a passionate and outspoken advocate for Indigenous youth, whose contributions were varied, many and lasting and whose voice and artistic perspective were singular. She was an ardent supporter of language rights and encouraged young Inuit to be unapologetically proud of their culture. She will be deeply, deeply missed.

ABOVE

Pitseolak Ashoona (1904–1983 Kinngait) — Tiktalikta 1950s–1960s Unbleached cotton (muslin), screen printed

Celebrating artistic legacies and championing artistic futures, whether individual or collective, is foundational to our editorial approach and the importance of art as a carrier of continuity and memory is borne out with each issue that we share with you. For this edition, our Features open with Krista Ulujuk Zawadski’s “Threading Memories”—an intimate account of the central place of thread, needle and cloth to Inuit life, today and always. Taking Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU, as its central site and nivingajuliat (wall hangings) as its subject, Zawadski’s piece weaves together personal memory, community art history and the power of gendered storytelling to reveal the oft-hidden stories in these one-of-a-kind vibrant works. Little known histories are similarly explored in Legacy and Curatorial Notes this issue. The former, “Backstitch,” written by Genevieve LeMoine and Susan A. Kaplan explores the histories and still yet unknown aspects of a collection of embroideries largely centred on the community of Nain, Nunatsiavut, NL. These textiles, primarily created for domestic use, are microcosms—each is a small, complete world filled with narrative, delicately rendered figures and specific markers of place. In ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓯᑯᓯᓛᕐᒥᑦ Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios curator Roxane Shaughnessy shares the unlikely arc of a short-lived program out of the iconic Kinngait Studios that journeyed to Expo ’67 and beyond, including their incredible transformation into garments modelled by Kenojuak Ashevak and Mialia Jaw. Contemporary designers

Tarralik Duffy, Martha Kyak and Nooks Lindell were also invited to contribute new patterns in response, hinting at the exciting shift circumpolar fashion is undergoing today. Streetwear label Hinaani Designs, for whom Lindell is the lead designer, is well known throughout the North and is one of our “5 Designers to Watch.” To meet the other four, turn to page 42. Finally, you may also have noticed some changes to our masthead over the past few issues. I’d like to take this opportunity to officially welcome our new team members: Michael Stevens, Managing Editor; Matthew Hoffman, Art Director; Jessica MacDonald, Online Editor and finally Emily Henderson, Profiles Editor, and our first full-time Inuk editorial staff member whose role has been made possible through support from the RBC Foundation and readers like yourself. Together, we look forward to introducing you to the talents of the field’s bright new faces over the coming year and to expanding our online offerings to share with you everything we wanted to explore, but couldn’t fit inside the print edition. To complement this particular issue on Threads we took a deep dive into our archive to bring you more woven works from Panniqutuq (Pangnirtung), NU, interviews with our featured designers and others as part of Toronto Indigenous Fashion Week and much more. If you haven’t yet joined us at the IAQ Online, I hope you’ll do so soon. Britt Gallpen Editorial Director

REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION DORSET FINE ARTS

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THANK YOU

Our donors make all the difference. IAF Sustainers Circle With annual gifts of $1,000 or more, this incredibly dedicated group provides critical support to connect artists with opportunities and make an extraordinary impact. $100,000 RBC Foundation $10,000–$25,000 Susan Carter First Arts K. Richardson The Herb and Cece Schreiber Foundation TD Bank Group / The Ready Commitment Wilmot Bruce Hunter Foundation

IAF Supporter’s Circle The Supporter’s Circle is a special group of donors who give monthly to sustain the IAF and create opportunities for artists.

Inuit Art Quarterly

$5,000–$9,999 Rene Balcer Andrew Chodos, in memory of Ted and Toni Chodos Flywheel Strategic Goring Family Foundation Hugh Hall Marion Scott Gallery Patrick Odier Joram Piatigorsky John and Joyce Price The Radlett Foundation and one anonymous donor

Monthly supporter Endowment supporter Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award

supporter Inuit Art Quarterly supporter IAQ Profiles supporter

$1,000–$2,499 Adventure Canada Paul and Ellen Alkon

Blair Assaly Shary Boyle Jamie Cameron, in honour of Dorothy Cameron Yvonne C. Condell Donald and Pat Dodds Marian Dodds, in honour of Dedie Dodds Arthur Drache CM, QC and Judy Young Drache Eleanor Erikson Fath Group/O’Hanlon Paving Patricia Feheley David Forrest Huit Huit Tours Ltd. and Cape Dorset Inuit Art Inuit Art Society K+D (Kalaman + Demetriou) Monty Kehl and Craig Wilbanks Hesty Leibtag Ann and Michael Lesk Christie MacInnes Roxanne McCaig Heather McNab

Allan Newell Susan A. Ollila Constance Pathy PCL Contractors Canada Inc. Paul Pizzolante Ann Posen, in memory of my father, David Braidberg Andrew and Valerie Pringle Alysa Procida and Kevin Stewart Shirley Richardson Céline Saucier David Sproule, in honour of Jean Katherine Sproule Harriet Stairs The Michael and Sonja Koerner Charitable Foundation Torex Consulting Barbara J. Turner Gail Vanstone Westchester Community Foundation, Bell-Jacoby Fund Norman Zepp and Judith Varga

Manasiah Paniloo Akpaliapik Mary Anglim Andrea Arnold Stephen Baker Barbara and Vincent Barresi Christopher Bredt and Jamie Cameron Tobi Bruce Catherine Campbell

Claudia Christian L.E. Cleman in memory of Fred Cleman Celia Denov Donald and Pat Dodds Kate Doorly Sophie Dorais Melanie Egan Lynn Feasey

Britt Gallpen and Travis Vakenti Anik Glaude Dr. Andrew Gotowiec Barbara Hale Shawn Hassell Dianne Hayman Brittany Holliss Amy Jenkins

$2,500–$4,999 Christopher Bredt and Jamie Cameron Janice Gonsalves Charles Kingsley Katarina Kupca David and Liz Macdonald

Spring 2020

THANK YOU

Our donors celebrate and nurture artists, bringing untold stories to light. Because of our donors, global awareness and appreciation of Inuit art and artists continues to grow. They provide opportunities for artists to explore their practices, learn new skills and grow. The donors listed in these pages made all of this and more possible by giving between December 1, 2018 and December 31, 2019. Thank you!

Friends of the Foundation $500–$999 James R. Abel, in honour of Xanthipi L. Abel Carole Ahmad and family James Bader Barbara and Vincent Barresi Jurg and Christel Bieri The Honourable Patricia Bovey Kaaren and Julian Brown Tobi Bruce Jamie Cameron, in honour of Jeanette Power Lili Chester L.E. Cleman, in memory of Fred Cleman Jeffrey Cobb, in memory of Justin Lyman Cobb III Neil Devitt Peter and Irena Dixon, in memory of Philip Igloliorte

Jon Eliassen Lyyli Elliott Harald Finkler and Nadine Nickner Alain Fournier Britt Gallpen and Travis Vakenti Susan Gallpen Gillian Graham Erik Haites Molly K. Heines and Thomas J. Moloney Margaret and Roger Horton Heather Igloliorte and Matthew Brulotte Carola Kaegi Mary Kostman, in honour of Jennifer Kilabuk Dr. Simon E. Lappi Ellen Lehman Maija M. Lutz and Peter A. Tassia Walter Marquis Michael Martens, in memory of Miriam Bordofsky

Meridian Credit Union Kathryn Minard Nancy Moore Danielle Ouimet, in memory of Trista Wong Smye Clifford Papke The Power Foundation Ryan Rice Deborah and Sandy Riley Bruce Roberts Michael and Melanie Southern Ellen Taubman Marie-Josée Therrien Jay and Deborah Thomson Carol Thrun, MD Jaan Whitehead Kim Wiebe and Aubrey Margolis Catherine Wilkes, in honour of David Wilkes and one anonymous donor $250–$499 John and Sylvia Aldrich

Eleanor Allgood Alphabet Shelley Ambrose Stephen Baker Sandra Barz Susan Baum Terry and Donna Bladholm Cedar Bradley-Swan Matthew Bradley-Swan Lisa-Margaret S. Bryan Stephen Bulger Aaron Cain Catherine Campbell Mary F. Campbell, in honour of Billy Gauthier Geoffrey and Martha Clark Jane Coppenrath Rob Craigie CarData Celia Denov Kate Doorly Sophie Dorais Hélène Dussault and Louis Hanrahan

Katarina Kupca Samia Madwar, in honour of Hazar Shawaf Michael Martens, in memory of Miriam Bordofsky Roxanne McCaig Stephen Morris, in memory of Aqjangayuk Shaa

Clifford Papke Kara Pearce Ann Posen, in honour of David Braidberg Alysa Procida and Kevin Stewart Robin and David Procida Eva Riis-Culver Leslie Saxon West

Joanne Schmidt, in loving memory of Gail Schmidt Michael and Melanie Southern Joyce and Fred Sparling David Sproule, in memory of Jean Katherine Sproule Jacek Szulc

Gail Vanstone Nicholas Wattson Gord and Laurie Webster Claude M. Weil, in honour of Jim Shirley Peggy Weller Kim Wiebe and Aubrey Margolis and two anonymous donors

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO SUPPORT ARTISTS, CONTACT US AT 647-498-7717 OR VISIT US ONLINE AT INUITARTFOUNDATION.ORG. AS A REGISTERED CHARITY IN CANADA (#121033724RR001) AND THE UNITED STATES (#980140282), THE IAF WELCOMES DONATIONS, SPONSORSHIPS, LEGACY GIFTS AND IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS.

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THANK YOU

Painter Darcie Bernhardt is a rising star in the Canadian art world. In 2019 alone she opened her first solo show, Ouiyaghasiak, was the IAF’s featured artist at Art Toronto 2019 and made her first institutional sales to the RBC Art Collection and the Indigenous Art Centre. Here’s how our supporters have made a difference:

To learn more about Darcie and her work visit page 26.

Sandra Dyck Leah Erickson, in honour of all Inuit artists Alana Faber Yvonne and David Fleck Ed Friedman Galerie d’art Vincent Peter Gardner The Gas Company Paul Gemmiti Dr. Andrew Gotoweic Linda Grussani Barbara Hale Sally Hart Shawn Hassell Dianne Hayman Carol Heppenstall Charles Hilton Chuck Hudson Joyce Keltie Nancy Keppelman and Michael Smerza Rawlson King Val K. Lem Louis Loewen

Inuit Art Quarterly

Joseph Salkowitz DMD Paula Santrach Joanne Schmidt, in loving memory of Gail Schmidt Ronald Senungetuk Mari Shantz Mark Shiner Bernardo and Jansje Stramwasser Jacek Szulc Carol and Charles Tator Hunter and Valerie Thompson Robert C. and Judith Toll Ann Tompkins Anne Vagi Jim and Merri Van Dyke James and Louise Vesper Mary Jo Watson Nicholas Wattson Peggy Weller Scott White Mark and Margie Zivin and two anonymous donors ] [1

Louise Logan Dr. Marie A. Loyer Blandina Attaarjuaq Makkik and Greg Rogers, in memory of Amelia and Paul Angilirq Elizabeth McKeown P. McKeown Phyllis and G. Lester McKinnon Robert Michaud Scott Mullin Michael J. Noone Suzanne O’Hara Carole and Peter Ouimet Martin Pâquet Maria Parsons Kara Pearce The Pemsel Case Foundation, in honour of Jamie Cameron Robin and David Procida Mrs. Margaret Rieger Kerstin Roger Lou Ruffolo Michael Ryan, in honour of Patricia Ryan

$100–$249 Amy Adams Manasiah Paniloo Akpaliapik Lea Algar-Moscoe Mary Anglim Sarah Ashton, in honour of Sharon Allen Anne-Claude Bacon Don and Anne Badke Catherine Badke Elizabeth Ball, in memory of Thomas G. Fowler Eric Barnum Heather Beecroft, in honour of George Swinton Brian Belchamber Patrick Beland Pamella and Charles Binder, in honour of C. Alan Hudson III Catherine Birt Marjorie Blankstein CM, OM, LLD Claus and Anne Borchardt Francois Boucher, in memory of Peter Pitseolak

Spring 2020

THANK YOU

Participating in Art Toronto was an incredible experience for me. Discussing my work with a broader audience and hearing that they appreciated it was really powerful. To have that spotlight on my work was amazing. I would love for other Indigenous artists to experience this. I feel that young artists need that little bit of support and the IAF does a great job of that. Thank you for this opportunity and support!” DARCIE BERNHARDT

Karen Bradfield Woody Brown and Christa Ouimet, in memory of Susan Oster Freda and Irwin Browns David Burns Gabrielle Campbell Shelley Chochinov Claudia Christian Nancy Cleman Carol Cole, in honour of Billy Gauthier Bernard Cummings Raymond F. Currie Fred and Mary Cutler Brian Davies Urmi Desai Nadine Di Monte Diane and Daryl Howard Charitable Foundation Nathalie Ducamp François Dumaine Melanie Egan Leslie Eisenberg Pat English

Lynne and John Eramo Keith Evans Lynn Feasey Robin Field Shirley Finfrock Barbara Fischer Michael L. Foreman and Leslie Roden-Foreman Ellen Fraser John Geoghegan Anik Glaude Carole Gobeil Claire S. Gold Peter Gold and Athalie Joy Deborah Gordon Karen and George Gorsline Nelson Graburn, in memory of Taiara and Ituvik from Salluit Carol Gray Mark Gustafson Susan and Victor Gustavison Andrea Hamilton John A. Hanjian Kathryn Hanna

Tekla Harms James M. Harris Clive Harvey Ian Harvey Janet Heagle Anne Hearn Ingo Hessel Albert and Femmeke Holthuis Richard Horder Dale Horwitz Warren Howard Andrew Hubbertz Jacqueline Hynes indiGem Inc., in honour of Mathew Nuqingaq Phil Ivanoff Susan Ivory, in memory of Melvin A. Ivory Lynn Jackson, in honour of Paula Jackson Drs. Laurence and Katherine Jacobs Lynne and Ed Jaffe Amy Jenkins Sharon Jorgens

Lou Jungheim and Thalia Nicas, in memory of Francine Rosenberg John and Johanna Kassenaar Nicolette Kaszor Sharon Kozicki Nadia Kurd Randy Lazarus Gordon Leggett Joe and Sandra Lintz Kenneth Lister Daryl Logan, in memory of Chelsey Russell Simone Ludlow Daniel Macdonald, in honour of David and Liz Macdonald Catherine Madsen Samia Madwar, in honour of Hazar Shawaf George Marcus Elaine and Neil Margolis Susan Marrier William Mather The Honourable Justice Paul Mayer

OPPOSITE

Darcie Bernhardt (b. 1993 Tuktuuyaqtuq) — Cutting Caribou 2018 Oil 121.9 × 71.1 cm COURTESY THE ARTIST

RIGHT

Installation view of Darcie Bernhardt’s Jijuu Playing Bingo (2018) and Nanuk and Nanogak (2018) at Art Toronto, 2019

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THANK YOU

Writer and curator Krista Ulujuk Zawadski has been a regular contributor to the Inuit Art Quarterly for the past two years. With support from our donors, Krista has been able to share the stories of artists she admires, bring to light new art histories and share her unique perspective with our readers. Here’s how our supporters have made a difference:

To read Krista’s feature in this issue visit page 30.

Irene Mazurkewich Rick McGraw Tess McLean, in memory of Christian Gunnar Saare Valerie Meesschaert, in memory of Rene D’Hollander Mary-Ann Metrick, in honour of Cécile Metrick Richard and Annette Pivnick Stephen Morris, in memory of Aqjangayuk Shaa Margaret Morse Dee Fenner and Charles Moss Meredith Mozer Barbara Myslinski Gary Nelson Susan Newlove Donna and Hal Olsen Louisa L. O’Reilly Louie Palu, in memory of Fiorina and Giuseppe Palu Doreen Peever Don Pether

Inuit Art Quarterly

Ed Pien, in memory of Tim Pitsiulak and Jutai Toonoo Steve Potocny and Anne Milochik Prue Rains, in honour of Marybelle Mitchell Blaine Rapp, in honour of Helen Mary Rapp Bayard D. Rea Leslie Reid Dr. Timothy W. Reinig Jim Renner, in memory of Norah Renner Eva Riis-Culver Marcia Rioux Anita Romaniuk Robert Rosenbaum Lise Rousson-Morneau Susan Rowley Judith Rycus Alexa Samuels Leslie Saxon West Jeffrey Seidman Paul Shackel and Barbara Little

Seiko Shirafuji Janet Shute Susan Simpson Liz Smeloff Joyce and Fred Sparling Charmaine Spencer Carmine Starnino Colleen Suche George Szabo Phil Tinmouth and Brit Dewey Tundra North Tours Theresie Tungilik Roslyn Tunis Joel and Evelyn Umlas Teri Vakenti Peg and Peter Van Brunt Rod Wacowich, in memory of Lorraine Neill Lowell Waxman Ann and Marshall Webb John Weber, in memory of Mary MacDonald Gord and Laurie Webster Claude M. Weil, in honour of

Jim Shirley Amanda Whitney Judy Willson David Wilson and Patricia Hinton Judy Wolfe Bea Zizlavsky and 7 anonymous donors [3 , 1 , 1 ] Up to $99 Bea Alvarez Judy Archer Andrea Arnold Bruce Bauer Maegen Black Michael Boland Simon Brascoupé Nicholas Brown Kevin Burns Janet Chamberlain Mark Cheetham Claire Christopher Jill Coles Rob and Harmonie Cowley

Spring 2020

THANK YOU

The Inuit Art Foundation has been so supportive of me in my academic journey and development. It’s really exciting to work with the Inuit Art Quarterly because I know that support is going to be there, which means a lot to an emerging writer like myself. The IAF creates opportunities not just for writers, but for artists, and your support helps create a safe space for that career growth.” KRISTA ULUJUK ZAWADSKI

Charles Crockford Jennifer Day Sharon Dembo Leanne Di Monte Autumn Diaz Jean Dickinson Janette Doering Lynn Enright Andrew Fallas Katharine W. Fernstrom Gabrielle Girard-Charest Alan Goldstein Susan Griswold Alissa Hamilton Beatrice Hanson, in memory of Cesare Ansovini Mary Hanson Sara Hassan Emily Henderson Janna Hiemstra Mark Hirschman Petra Holler Brittany Holliss Anna Holmes Home and Away Gallery

Jessie Oonark (1906–1985 Qamani’tuaq) — Untitled c. 1972–1973 Wool felt on wool duffel 65 × 170 cm GOVERNMENT OF NUNAVUT FINE ART COLLECTION COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY PHOTO LEIF NORMAN

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Jane Horner James Igloliorte Mark Igloliorte Dr. J. Jackson-Thompson, in honour of Dr. Richard C. Thompson Elwood Jimmy Emily Jolliffe Melinda Jose Serena Kataoka, in honour of Aylan Couchie Gwen Kerr, in honour of Germaine Arnaktauyok Jo-Ann Kolmes Peter Kovacik Benoit Labelle Carol Lampert Dr. Virginia Lavin Mary Lawrence Breinig Rebecca Lee, in honour of David Lee Jamie Lewis Marion Lord Pat and Ross MacCulloch Michelle McGeough

Lindsay McIntyre, in memory of Kumaa’naaq Patrick McLean Verena Mereb Joanna Miazga Rachel Muir Suzanne F. Nash Lou Nelson Arlene Katz Nichols Sunita Nigam, in honour of Jane Pankovitch Louisa Pauyungie Sr. Marie Peron Hélène Poulin Marilyn Robinson Irene Rokaw and John Reese Mark Rostrup, in honour of Paula Rostrup Kevin Rush Allan R. Sampson Wally Sapach Nicholas Sappington Evelyn R. Savitsky Claude Schryer

Iris Schweiger Kathryn Scott Patricia Scott Elika Shapiro Arlene Skull Scenery Slater Eleni Smolen Ann Sprayregen Elizabeth Steinbrueck B. Thompson Bertha K. Thompson Kitty Thorne Emilie Tremblay Darlene Tymn Anne Van Burek Patrizia In Villani Cocchi Charles M. Voirin Larysa Voss Nancy Walkling, in memory of Frank Walkling Sarah Whelchel Catherine E. Whitehead Michael Wiles and three anonymous donors [1 , 1 ]

You can make the difference. There are more than 13,000 Inuit artists working in Canada today. Many face unfair barriers to making and showcasing their work, but all of them deserve the same opportunities other artists have to have their voices heard and their work seen. By giving to the IAF, you help artists working across Inuit Nunangat and beyond connect to opportunities, have platforms for their work to be seen and build their careers. Celebrate the art you love and make a difference by donating today. 13

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5 WORKS

Pattern Play IAF staff pay homage to some of their favourite stitched motifs

BELOW

Marion Tuu’luq (1910–2002 Qamani’tuaq) — Untitled c. 1970s Wool, felt and embroidery floss 66 × 100.3 cm COURTESY EXPANDINGINUIT.COM

Sheojuk Oqutaq

Woman Standing (c. 1955) Standing just shy of 15 centimetres, this luminescent ivory sculpture by Sheojuk Oqutaq (1920–1982) is deceptively large. Featuring highly detailed patterning, Oqutaq has outfitted his subject with beautiful fur kamiit, a skillfully crafted amauti complete with a full, billowing hood and graphic, dashed ties as well as delicate lashes and the artist’s signature: perfectly symmetrical braids. Created early in his career, this piece draws much from the tradition of ivory miniatures but is rendered at a scale that would allow it to hold its own alongside the stone sculptures the artist was producing by this time. A fitting example of Oqutaq’s acumen for human figures, Woman Standing is also a tender and specific portrait of a young woman, her stance assured and level.

Marion Tuu’luq, RCA

Untitled (c. 1970s)

BRITT GALLPEN

Editorial Director This wall hanging by Marion Tuu’luq (1910– 2002) is playfully symbolic, using geometric juxtapositions and a surfeit of concentric patterning to joyful effect. Yet this highly abstract piece, a work of imagining, is equally painterly. Tuu’luq has constructed a landscape of appliqué and stitches so intricate and variegated that to my eye, it comes to life as the Arctic tundra—land that represents so much fullness in the Inuit imagination. In Tuu’luq’s hands, scraps are reworked

into clusters of possibility, every space filled, making her a bit of a bricoleur. And while the artist largely adheres to the conventions of balance, our experience of each variation of shape, colour or line serves as a reminder that no two are the same. Nuna and what it embodies—the eternal return of life—is woven into this expression of artistic exploration and yearning. CRYSTAL SHI

Editorial Assistant

RIGHT

OPPOSITE (ABOVE RIGHT)

OPPOSITE (ABOVE LEFT)

OPPOSITE (BELOW RIGHT)

Sheojuk Oqutaq (1920–1982 Kinngait) — Woman Standing c. 1955 Ivory and pigment 14.9 × 4.6 × 4.1 cm

Sakarine Steenholdt (Nuuk) — Kamiit c. 1970s Sealskin, cotton and embroidery thread 77.5 × 22.3 × 7.3 cm (each)

Ningiukulu Teevee (b. 1963 Kinngait) — Symphony of Owls 2007 Printmaker Studio PM Etching and aquatint 71 × 84.2 cm

Evelyn Douglas (b. 1947 Naparyaarmiut) — Grass Basket and Mat 2006 Grass 15.8 × 10.2 × 10.2 cm

COLLECTION OF ESTHER SARICK COURTESY ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO

Inuit Art Quarterly

COURTESY OF THE PEARYMACMILLAN ARCTIC MUSEUM, BOWDOIN COLLEGE

COURTESY BATA SHOE MUSEUM

Spring 2020

5 WORKS

Ningiukulu Teevee

Symphony of Owls (2007) The swooping forms of more than fifty birds glide through the darkness of Ningiukulu Teevee’s Symphony of Owls, their yellow eyes alert for prey. Their outstretched wings lend a ghostly, otherworldly atmosphere, heightened by a rich black background and the bluish cast that tinges some of their wings. On closer inspection, this is not a form of supernatural transparency, but rather Teevee using colour to achieve depth and space—a sense that the birds are emerging

from the darkness around them. The addition of feathery texture to the birds in the background makes the pure white focal points even more prominent. Although normally known as a parliament of owls, the almost rhythmic dip and sway of this grouping much better recalls the symphonic harmonies for which the piece was named. JESSICA MACDONALD

Online Editor

Sakarine Steenholdt

Kamiit (c. 1970s) With their delicate lace snowflakes, intricate roses and avittat pattern crafted from dyed sealskin, these beautiful kamiit were sewn as part of the spectacular national dress of Greenland, famous worldwide for its intricate beaded collars, called perlekrave. These kamiit are a stitching together of cultures: Greenlandic kamiit are typically made using sealskin but have come to incorporate Scandinavian design elements, including the lace and those finely embroidered flowers decorating the boot’s midway bands. Traditionally a women’s art form, they are hardly static. Kamiit designs constantly adapt to new materials and innovations, but remain an integral part of traditional textiles.

EMILY HENDERSON

Profiles Editor

Evelyn Douglas

Grass Basket and Mat (2006) The intricate geometry of this grass basket was woven by the expert hands of Evelyn Douglas from Naparyaarmiut (Hooper Bay), Alaska, who has been weaving for over thirty years since she first learned her tight knits from her mother and other weavers. Naparyaarmiut is located on the YukonKuskokwim Delta, where the sediments and brackish water create the ideal environment for rich, grassy marshes. This space, where the land and sea meet, is where the Yup’ik Threads

collect their tough grasses—ideal for tightly woven water-resistant baskets. Traditional Yup’ik baskets have been woven for decades out of grasses and baleen, and this delicate pattern is woven with natural coarse grass and dyed grass to create the coiled, almost hypnotic pattern. NAPATSI FOLGER

Contributing Editor 15

Front

HIGHLIGHTS

Exhibition Highlights A behind-the-scenes look at some notable projects

OPPOSITE (ABOVE)

BELOW

Interior rendering of the Inuit Art Centre at the Winnipeg Art Gallery

Kiliii Yuyan (b. 1979 Seattle) — Umiaq and north wind during spring whaling 2019 Inkjet print 30 × 20 cm

COURTESY MICHAEL MALTZAN ARCHITECTURE

MAY 28—AUGUST 23, 2020

Arctic: culture and climate British Museum LONDON, UK

Bringing together the largest and most diverse circumpolar collection ever displayed in the UK, Arctic: culture and climate will examine the relationship between the land, animals and people that make up the Arctic Circle, and the response of each to dramatic changes wrought by seasonal weather and human-caused climate change. Curated by Amber Lincoln, the exhibit mixes archaeological finds with artifacts from early points of contact, including a carved Evenki spirit mask made from a seventeenth century Russian icon, and contemporary works by Simon Tookoome, Piita Irniq, Fedor Markov, George Flowers, Annie Pootoogook, Andrew Qappik Inuit Art Quarterly

and Kenojuak Ashevak, among others. We spoke with photographer Kiliii Yuyan, known for his captivating images, to learn more: The majority of my pieces in this exhibit come from a four-year project I did about Iñupiat whaling on the Alaskan North Slope. The images and the film are about the identity of Iñupiat around whaling, and a glimpse at what life is like for specific hunters out on the sea ice. The photographs look at the boats everyone uses, called skin boats—umiat—and the life of camping with everyone gathered together in a community fashion to hunt whales on the ice. My parents are refugees, so I’m divorced from my homeland and my community. In a way, this work lets me hang out with a community that I haven’t really gotten a chance to see since I was a young child. 16

What first brought me up to the North, however, was kayaks and umiaqs. My culture builds kayaks, and I’ve built kayaks from communities all across the Arctic and subArctic. I wanted to hang out with elders and people who were still building the boats and had the knowledge of it—those who still knew how to sew the skin and how to use the umiaq. I wanted to go to Greenland and chill out with the guys that do kayak rolls. Probably the most important influence in my photographs is being pulled into different cultures and the ways that everyone interacts with their kayaks and umiaqs. Last year I was so busy that I didn’t have the opportunity to process that my work would be used as promotional photos for this exhibit. But it’s exciting to see my work very large on the side of a building. – Kiliii Yuyan Spring 2020

HIGHLIGHTS

OPENING FALL 2020

Inuit Art Centre Winnipeg Art Gallery WINNIPEG, MB

After breaking ground in May of 2018, the Inuit Art Centre at the Winnipeg Art Gallery is on track to open in late 2020. Designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture, the building features 40,000 sq ft in exhibition space as well as educational spaces including classrooms, art studios and a three-story-high glass vault. Filled with thousands of sculptures, this unique element will offer visitors a one-of-a kind viewing experience, supplemented with digital navigating and storytelling opportunities to enhance public understanding of the unique works on display. To learn more, we reached out to Rachel Baerg, Head of Learning & Programs: We’re thrilled to bring our collection of Inuit sculptures from the basement vault out where visitors will be able to access and engage with them like never before. The visible glass vault will house over 5,000 carvings representing artists and communities across Northern Canada and beyond. Our goal is to activate the vault, allowing visitors to self-navigate the collection, identify specific works of interest and even curate their own collections. In addition, for those interested in more in-depth explorations of artwork, our digital vault platform will serve to ‘animate’ the collection through interactive maps, artist profiles, videos, artist interviews and other unique multimedia applications. Given the scope, for this first phase we will be focusing on creating multimedia interactives for 100–150 pieces in the vault.

These works will become the subject of ‘art stories’ and offer a gateway into our collection, providing greater consideration of their historical, social and cultural context. These stories will be presented via a web-based portal that can be accessed both in situ on terminals around the vault as well as online through our website. Key to this project, funded by the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Strategy Fund, will be bringing Inuit voices to the forefront to share stories related to their artwork, their culture and their land. We’re excited to be working with Inuit artists, knowledge keepers, storytellers and students to bring these works of art to life. It’s a big project and we see this as just the beginning of something very exciting! – Rachel Baerg

LEFT

Oviloo Tunnillie (1949–2014 Kinngait) — Grieving Woman 1997 Stone 35 × 12.5 × 11.3 cm COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY

MIDDLE

Davidialuk Alasua Amittu (1910–1976 Puvirnituq) — Mythological Bird 1958 Stone 43.4 × 38.2 × 16.5 cm COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY

RIGHT

Joseph Patterk (b. 1912 Kangiqliniq) — Legend of the Family Who Traveled on a Wild Goose 1966 Ceramic 36 × 25 × 45 cm GOVERNMENT OF NUNAVUT FINE ART COLLECTION COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY

Threads

Front

HIGHLIGHTS

LEFT

Taqralik Partridge (Kuujjuaq/Kautokeino) — apirsait 2020 Mixed-media installation Dimensions variable COURTESY THE ARTIST

MARCH 14—JUNE 8, 2020

Biennale of Sydney Various Locations SYDNEY, AU

Curated by Brook Andrew, the 22nd Sydney Biennale, Nirin, brings together works by close to one hundred artists, creatives and collectives and draws its name from the Wiradjuri word for edge. This much anticipated project promises an all-star lineup of internationally acclaimed artists with a heavy emphasis on Indigenous artists from around the globe. This year will also feature a number of artists with ties to the circumpolar region including Nicholas Galanin, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, collective Suohpanterror, Aslaug Magdalena Juliussen, Sissel M. Bergh and Anders Sunna as well as Nunivimmiuk Taqralik Partridge. We caught up with Partridge in Kautokeino, Inuit Art Quarterly

Norway, as she was putting the final touches on her project for the biennale: I met Brook [Andrew] in Kautokeino last year as part of the SápmiToo event organized by Dáiddadáilu Sámi Artist Collective and the Office of Contemporary Art, Norway. Brook was there with Wanda Nanibush, Curator of Indigenous Art, from the Art Gallery of Ontario. For the biennale I’m doing a series of six beaded pieces, called apirsait (Helper Spirits). Aaju Peter was talking about the name for these spirits recently, and I was happy to hear what they were called. I’m stuck on that kidney shape, I just like it! Like my other work, I’m trying to use whatever materials are available to me, what’s in my kitchen—materials that are both significant and not significant. The helper spirits are animals that are important to me—arctic fox, caribou, walrus, 18

polar bear, raven—and the sixth, which I’m creating to be touched and is primarily for the those who can’t see, will likely be an Australian animal. Also as part of my participation, I’ll be performing and I have a poem wall-installation at Artspace in English, Inuktitut (in both roman and syllabics) and Darug— an Indigenous language local to the Sydney region. It’s a short poem I wrote in Toronto, ON. As part of the Arctic/Amazon Symposium I was asked to do a response to another artist Denilson Baniwa. For Sydney I had it translated/adapted by Ida Saunders and the organizers had it adapted by Warmuli/ Cannemegal writer Corina Marino into her language. Corina has also written a response poem. I think both will be displayed in the gallery. There will be a catalogue and an art book where some of my writing will appear. – Taqralik Partridge Spring 2020

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SPONSORED

OPPOSITE

Exterior rendering of the Inuit Art Centre at the Winnipeg Art Gallery COURTESY MICHAEL MALTZAN ARCHITECTURE

ABOVE

All-Inuit curatorial team for INUA, the WAG Inuit Art Centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inaugural exhibition, from left to right: Kablusiak, Krista Ulujuk Zawadski, asinnajaq, Dr. Heather Igloliorte PHOTO PAULINE BOLDT/ 26 PROJECTS

MIDDLE

Architect Michael Maltzan on the WAG Inuit Art Centre construction site in October 2019 PHOTO TYLER WALSH/ TOURISM WINNIPEG

BELOW

WAG Inuit Art Centre, December 2019 PHOTO BUILD FILMS

CHOICE

Mark Igloliorte Eskimo Roll

BELOW

Mark Igloliorte (b. 1977 Vancouver/ Corner Brook) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Eskimo Roll 2017 Video loop, 3m 32s COURTESY MARION SCOTT GALLERY

by Stuart Keeler

Inuit Art Quarterly

Spring 2020

CHOICE

The title is an ironic and bold acknowledgement of the colonization of the kayak. Over the past century, the kayak has been appropriated from an agile seal hunting vessel to a moneyed weekender’s leisure craft.

Set against the panorama of English Bay in Vancouver, BC, a lone figure in a kayak— interdisciplinary artist Mark Igloliorte—wields a double-ended paddle, attempting to successfully right himself on camera. What follows is Eskimo Roll (2017), a three-minute video work that documents a performance by Igloliorte, created in collaboration with artist Navarana Igloliorte. The video’s composition is painterly: greyblue water meets grey peaked mountains; the dappled sprawl of the city stretches across the background. It could be idyllic, save for a smattering of shipping tankers that interrupt the waterline, anchoring this work to its specific locale. Regardless of its setting, however, and the allure of its visual poetics of place, the work functions as a powerful catalyst for conversations centered on colonialism, class, environmentalism, identity, terminology and language, all of which implicate us, as viewers, through the act of observing. The title refers to a self-rescue technique of righting a capsized kayak without leaving the vessel. The motion represents a complete circle: from above water to being submerged, and coming back to the start position. It is powered by body weight and command of

Threads

the oar and, evident in Igloliorte’s piece, practice. Not yet mastered, we watch him attempt the action again and again, as though claiming ownership to the dubious name through repetition. Using the name of the maneuver as his performance’s title is an inherently ironic and bold acknowledgement of the colonization of the kayak. Over the past century, the kayak has been appropriated from an agile seal hunting vessel to a moneyed weekender’s leisure craft. By titling the piece Eskimo Roll, and without acknowledging the derogatoriness of the term, the artist calls upon the viewer to confront this history and reflect upon the effect of this casual derision of identity, despite the boat’s and the maneuver’s Inuit lineage. Here, the lone kayaker re-instating this history through repetition hints at the wider efforts of those who protest historical erasure and look to resolve the complexity of classification. In The Practice of Everyday Life (1980), philosopher Michel de Certeau reminds us that performance is an investigation of the mind, body and spirit, which is tangible in Eskimo Roll as each oar stroke waves back at centuries of Inuit history, lived experience

and cultural traditions. Igloliorte’s performance turns the maneuver into a palimpsest: a new work laid upon a used canvas that still bears visible traces of its earlier form. Eskimo Roll was acquired in 2019 by the TD Corporate Art Collection, which has been collecting Inuit and other Indigenous art in addition to non-Indigenous contemporary art since 1968 and aims to curate works that reflect the vital conversations happening in our communities. Eskimo Roll addresses many topical issues of identity and place, and offers an interesting space for thought provoking self-reflection. It is my hope that visitors to downtown Toronto, ON, will meet it when we play the film on the public screen at the Bay and Queen TD Branch from March to June in 2020. Flanked by new and old City Halls and Nathan Phillips Square, the Bay and Queen intersection is both a landmark, as well as a platform to view the current of ideas. I feel fortunate, as Senior Curator of the collection, that I will be able to visit with this piece frequently this spring. — Stuart Keeler is Senior Curator of the TD Bank Art Collection.

Front

CHOICE

Makkuusi Qalingo Angutiggiq Untitled (Snowy owl)

by Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk

Inuit Art Quarterly

Spring 2020

CHOICE

OPPOSITE

Makkuusi Qalingo Angutiggiq (1899–1986 Puvirnituq) — Untitled (Snowy owl) 1950 Steatite and soap inlay 11.4 × 8.5 × 15.6 cm

This ukpik, snowy owl, holds special status not only for the beauty of its form, but also for being one of the very first pieces that began the collection of Inuit art by the Museum.

COURTESY MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS PHOTO MMFA (CHRISTINE GUEST)

Out of the many sculptures that were brought from Inukjuak and Puvirnituq, Nunavik, QC, to the Canadian Guild of Crafts in Montreal in 1953, this piece is special. Carved by Makkuusi Qalingo Angutiggiq (1899–1986) in 1950, it was among a small selection of three works purchased by then-curator of Ancient Cultures of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), Frederick Cleveland Morgan. Morgan had been impressed by the aesthetic qualities of this ukpik and its companions, and he urged the museum in a letter to purchase the work, making the case for the museum to begin collecting Inuit art more broadly. This ukpik, snowy owl, holds special status not only for the beauty of its form, but also for being one of the very first pieces that began the collection of Inuit art by the museum. Makkuusi and this sculpture hail from a moment of transition. Born in 1899, Makkuusi grew up in family camps near Kangirsuruaq, Nunavik, QC, and the river Kuugaaluk, both south of Puvirnituq, where he would have met the intrepid painter James Houston, the man who brought our ukpik to Montreal. Makkuusi and his brother-in-law, Koperqualuk—my grandfather—stayed together and shared the responsibilities of upkeeping the family camp. Life on the land grew more difficult with famine and infection, and the establishment of a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post meant easier availability of flour, tea and other foodstuffs to combat the region’s food insecurity. Only in 1952, when the trading post established itself there permanently, did Inuit begin to gravitate towards the community and settle in Puvirnituq. With low prices for furs at the time of the migration to Puvirnituq, many Inuit turned to sculpting for another opportunity to make money. Though Makkuusi sculpted infrequently, he was among those that carved to earn an income so he could buy food and goods at the trading post. For Inuit artists who carved culture into art, the outside world’s new interest in Inuit art was encouraging. It was an opportunity to begin a path toward their dream of having control over the economy in Inuit Nunangat, which has been gradually realized over several decades through the co-operative movement, such as the Co-operative Association of Puvrinituq. The deftness with which Makkuusi Threads

carved ukpik illustrates that this was not the first time he had made a sculpture. The bird is stylistic and minimal in detail, still conveying that it is a snowy owl whose head has the capacity to make a complete turn. The colour of the steatite demonstrates a keen aesthetic eye, and accentuates the beauty of his style. Makkuusi’s ukpik shows a transformation taking place in Inuit sculpture: in the past, during the time of angakuuniq (being shaman), he would have been making smaller, amuletsized sculptures to append to clothing—on shaman’s belts and on hoods—to protect loved ones from malevolent spirits and illness, or to bring strength to a hunter. Amulets of the past, from what I have seen, were made in the likeness of big or small mammals, like whales or birds, and it’s not difficult to see the connecting lines to the larger carvings collected today. I knew Makkuusi when I was a little girl— he was my grandmother Lydia Angutiggiq Koperqualuk’s older brother—and whenever he saw me, he would give me a loving mmp!, which is our endearment sound. Yet he seemed very stern, so my little eyes thought they saw someone very gruff. I think back now, however, to his love and affection. My work as curator and mediator of Inuit art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts helped me take a closer look at his ukpik and rekindled fond memories of him and others like him—people I knew and loved and have learned even more from in the years since they have been gone. Like many other Inuit men and women of Puvirnituq, Makkuusi made several pieces that have been exhibited in museums and galleries across Canada, and through his art, contributed to the betterment and well-being of his community. His ability to create a beautiful sculpture reveals an artistic side that I was unable to see when I was a little girl—a softer, more creative side hidden in a man of resolve and strength. I often think about his time, when our people had to work very hard against the unforgiving circumstances that nature and the new relations with settlers imposed upon us, and I am proud of their fortitude and resilience. — Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk is Curator and Mediator of Inuit Art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). Front

PROFILE

Darcie Bernhardt

BELOW

OPPOSITE

Darcie Bernhardt (b. 1993 Tuktuuyaqtuq) — Nanuk Braiding My Hair Before Bingo 2019 Oil 91.4 × 61 cm

Daydreaming about Icefishing 2018 Oil 152.4 × 167.6 cm

ALL COURTESY THE ARTIST

by Emily Henderson

In her evocative work, Nanuk Braiding My Hair Before Bingo (2019), Darcie Bernhardt paints us a scene from her childhood in Tuktuuyaqtuq (Tuktoyaktuk), Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, cross-legged at the feet of her nanuk, her grandmother, who is working her long dark hair into a braid before an evening at bingo. A stack of cards already lies expectantly on the floor. The room feels quiet and reflective from the looseness of Bernhardt’s signature style that intentionally evokes the haziness of memory. Inuit Art Quarterly

“Because my paintings are memories, they often appear ‘unfinished’. I’m trying to express the way we recollect images that we’re not completely sure about. They’re often fuzzy, almost empty,” she explains, “I’m [working] to translate what I can remember and how badly I want to remember more.” Bernhardt, who draws inspiration from artists familiar to the Inuit art world, such as Annie Pootoogook (1969–2016), as well as those further from home such as NigerianAmerican artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby, 26

focuses her practice on domestic spaces and depictions of family as well as complex, abstracted compositions. The daughter of a seamstress, the artist recalls her early years spent surrounded by sewing patterns as well as elders and artists that would come to her home to teach her mother as she learned and perfected her craft— influences that are represented clearly across Bernhardt’s paintings. “I think what is important for my work now,” she says of these moments’ influence on her work, “is being able to reclaim and rearticulate my understanding of art, also through trying to reconnect with my culture.” While much of her practice is inspired by her childhood in the North, some of her recent pieces are guided by her experiences of relocating to the South in 2016 and adjusting to her current home in Halifax, NS. After a week spent learning to swim for the first time in the waters of Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site in Nova Scotia during the summer of 2018, she produced I Learned How to Swim with my Fanny Pack (2018) using a colour palette drawn from the cool eddies of fresh water and the moosehide fanny pack she wore throughout her visit. “I didn’t learn how to swim until that summer because it was the only time the water had been calm enough compared to the rough oceans around Tuktuuyaqtuq. It’s a special piece because I was never fully comfortable around water until then.” Bernhardt’s debut year in the Canadian art scene has been a dizzying carousel of achievements. In the Spring of 2019 she graduated from NSCAD University; she opened her first solo show, Ouiyaghasiak, in February at the Anna Leonowens Gallery in Halifax, NS; following soon after came her March 2019 installation of a charcoal animation at Montreal’s Nuit Blanche Festival in the group exhibition Memory Keepers 1; and the inclusion of a selection of her pieces in Worn Inward at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax from June to October. Adding to her busy year—which also included a trip to Venice, Italy, for the 58th Venice Biennale and a subsequent publication in a special issue of the Inuit Art Quarterly on her experience—Bernhardt was the featured artist at the Inuit Art Foundation’s Spring 2020

PROFILE

booth at Art Toronto 2019, introducing her work to the fair’s thousands of visitors. Her featured works, Jijuu Playing Bingo (2018), Nanuk and Nanogak (2018) and a larger-thanlife vinyl print of her swirling red and blue Cutting Caribou (2018), offer a small sample of her affectionate snapshots of her family life growing up in Gwich’in and Inuvialuit communities. Inspired by the hunting and butchering practices of country food, the patterns of Cutting Caribou (2018) represent shapes and sequences intimately familiar to the artist. Threads

“During the winter and fall we’d harvest all the caribou. I love to create the same abstract forms you’d see while you’re cutting up caribou because I love the colour combinations of the meat, cartilage, sinew and membranes.” The Art Toronto spotlight also enabled the acquisition of Bernhardt’s paintings by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and the RBC Art Collection, marking the emerging artist’s first major institutional acquisitions, and renewing Bernhardt’s dedication. “At the beginning of 27

this year, I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to continue to paint,” remembers Bernhardt. “But now that I’ve taken a breather and learned to articulate my ideas and seen that there’s interest, I’m excited to make more work.” Through the many forms her visual story telling takes, Darcie Bernhardt invites her audience into her deeply personal process of the reclamation of her cultural, community and familial ties as she expresses them through carefully articulated pattern and colour while capturing the fleeting nature of memory. Front

Kudluajuk Ashoona - Untitled (Nicotye Signing Her First Print) - 46 x 51 Inches - Coloured Pencil, Ink

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606 VIEW STREET VIC TORIA, B.C. 250 380 4660

Inuit Art Quarterly

Spring 2020

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COMPOSITION (ANIMALS AND HUNTING TOOLS), coloured pencil & ink, 20 x 26 in.

Woman with Fish and Kakivak unidentified artist, Nunavik, ca. 1952

NEW ADDRESS: 1444 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal H3G 1K4

www.elcalondon.com | info@elcalondon.com | 514-282-1173 Threads

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PREVIOUS SPREAD

Fanny Alagalak Avatituq (b. 1950 Qamani’tuaq) — Untitled c. 1980 Duffel, felt and embroidery floss 84 × 70 cm GOVERNMENT OF NUNAVUT FINE ART COLLECTION COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY PHOTO ERNEST MAYER

In 1970s Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU, a group of talented seamstresses invented a vital new art form called nivingajuliat, or wall hangings. Five decades on, Krista Ulujuk Zawadski considers how these remarkable and beloved works on cloth continue to record personal stories that have often been marginalized in the canonical art history of the region.

ᑭᖑᓂᐊᒍᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ

ᕙᓂ ᐊᓚᒐᓚᒃ ᐊᕙᑎᑐᕐᒃ (ᐃᓅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 1950-ᒥᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᑦ ) — ᑕᐃᒡᒍᓯᖃᖖᒋᑦᑐᖅ c. 1980 ᖃᓪᓗᓇᖅᑕᖅ ᐃᔾᔪᔪᖅ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂᓗ 84 × 70 cm ᐊᐃᑦᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᐃᓂᐸᐃᒃ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᖃᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᔨ ᐅᓂᔅᑦ ᒪᐃᔭ

Inuit Art Quarterly

1970-ᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᑎᒥᑦ, ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᑎᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᓂᕕᖓᑕᓕᐊᕐᒥᑦ. ᐅᑭᐅᑦ 50 ᐊᓂᒍᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑭᕆᔅᑕ ᐅᓗᔪᒃ ᔭᕙᑦᔅᑭ ᖃᐅᔨᓇᓱᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐱᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᐊᓗᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑭᒃᑯᓕᒫᓂᒃ ᐱᐅᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᖅᑎᐊᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᐅᖓ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᓄᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖓᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ.

Spring 2020

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RIGHT

Janet Nungnik (b. 1954 Qamani’tuaq) — Frost Boil Song 2003 Duffel, felt, embroidery floss and printed fabric 44.4 × 54.9 cm

Jessie Kenalogak (b. 1951 Qamani’tuaq) — Untitled 1979 Duffel, felt and embroidery floss 55.5 × 61.5 cm

COURTESY MARION SCOTT GALLERY

COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY PHOTO SERGE SAURETTE

ᓴᐅᒥᐊᓂᑦ

ᑕᓕᖅᐱᐊᓂᑦ

ᔮᓂᑦ ᓄᖕᓂᕐᒃ (ᐃᓅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 1954-ᒥᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᑦ ) — ᖃᓛᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᖖᒋᐅᑦ 2003 ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᐃᔾᔪᔪᖅ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ, ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᒥᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 44.4 × 54.9 cm

ᔭᓯ ᑭᓇᓗᒐᕐᒃ (ᐃᓄᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 1951-ᒥᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᑦ ) — ᑕᐃᒡᒍᓯᖃᖖᒋᑦᑐᖅ 1979 ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᐃᔾᔪᔪᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᒥᑦ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᔪᖅ 55.5 × 61.5 cm

ᐊᐃᑦᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᒥᐊᕆᔭᓐ ᔅᑲᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᖓᖃᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ

ᐊᐃᑦᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᐃᓂᐸᐃᒥᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᒧᖓ ᓱᕐᔾ-ᒧᑦ

Sewing for Inuit has always been the basis of our culture, our roots and our worldview. Sewing nourishes our lives with warm clothing, it strengthens our traditions by providing opportunities to share knowledge and opens an avenue for meaningful memory-making with our families. Sewing provides a way for transmitting our culture, stories and values to younger generations—threading our lives together in the intergenerational tapestry of Inuit life. Sewing is a cornerstone of our language, culture and values; it has been, and still is, a strong component of our lives. Our sewing tradition sits outside of our experience with settlercolonialism. It is maintained by the value placed on it by Inuit who teach the skills to younger generations. Sewing is often one of the first things you learn as a young person in Nunavut. I learned to sew as a young girl in Igluligaarjuk (Chesterfield Inlet), NU, where we were taught basic stitches at home and in school, and the stitches have stuck with me since. Even today I continue to use the same stitches I learned back then, and I revel in seeing my children, nieces and nephews learn the same skills at home. Among my first grade-school projects were mitts and a nivingajuliat (wall hanging), and when I completed the nivingajuliat—with my signature “K. Oolooyuk” stitched at the bottom corner like all nivingajuliat artists do—I gleefully sent it to my grandparents in Winnipeg. I wanted to share with them my enthusiasm for learning new skills and to showcase aspects of my culture that bridge the gaps between generations and between cultures. This is the social life of nivingajuliat; sewing is the basis of Inuit upbringing and life— and by extension so are nivingajuliat and other forms of sewn art. Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU, has a long art history, one rooted in the legacies of ancestors’ traditional work on clothing, tools and oral histories, and these skills have formed the pillar of the more recently developed commercial art production in the community. Benefitting from government crafts programs and early exhibitions, the community opened a print shop in 1963 that began producing an annual print collection and today it continues to support a fruitful carving scene known for the beautiful black sheen of its polished hard rock.¹ As southern arts and crafts officers arrived in the community in the 1960s, facilitating workshops in collaboration with Inuit artists, the nivingajuliat movement began taking shape. Women

Threads

ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᖅ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓕᒫᖅ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᕗᖅ, ᑐᖓᕕᒋᓪᓗᑎᒍᓪᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᓕᒫᒧᑦ ᑕᐅᑐᒍᑎᒋᓪᓗᑎᒍᑦ. ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᖅ ᐅᖅᑰᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕋᓕᐅᕈᑎᒋᕙᒃᑕᕗᑦ, ᓴᖏᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᑎᒍᓪᓗ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ, ᓲᕐᓗ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒪᑐᐃᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑐᑭᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ. ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᖅ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᐸᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓐᓂᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᑐᓂᔾᔪᑎᒋᔪᓐᓇᕋᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᓲᕐᓗ ᓄᕕᓯᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᑎᒍᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖓᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᖅ ᑐᖓᕕᒋᔭᐅᕗᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ, ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᑦᑎᓐᓄᓪᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓐᓂᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ; ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂᑐᖄᓗᒃ ᐃᓅᓯᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᒧᑦ ᑎᑭᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᕗᖅ. ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕗᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᖏᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖏᑦᑐᖅ. ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂᑐᖄᓗᒃ ᐱᖁᑎᒋᔭᐅᖏᓐᓇᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᕙᖕᓂᖏᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᖕᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒥᓄᑦ. ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᖅ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᑎᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᐅᔭᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ. ᒥᖅᓱᕆᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖓ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑯᓘᓪᓗᖓ ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒑᕐᔪᖕᒥᑦ, ᐃᒡᓗᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᖢᑕ ᐊᔪᕐᓇᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᕙᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥᓗ, ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᑦᑎᐊᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᖓ. ᐅᓪᓗᒥᓕ ᓱᓕ ᐃᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔭᓐᓂᒃ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᒃᑐᖓ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᑯᕙᒃᑐᖓ ᕿᑐᕐᖓᓐᓄᑦ, ᓄᐊᓐᓄᓪᓗ, ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔾᔪᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᖅ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᑦᒥ. ᓯᕗᓪᓕᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓕᓵᖅᖢᖓ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔭᕋ ᐳᐊᓗᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᓂᒃ, ᐱᐊᓂᒃᑲᒃᑯ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᖅ—ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖅᖢᖓᓗ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᖢᖑ ᐃᒪᓐᓇ “ᑭ. ᐅᓗᖅ” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐅᖅᐸᒃᑐᑎᑐᑦ ᐱᓪᓗᖓ—ᐊᒃᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᓗᖓ ᓇᒃᓯᐅᑎᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔭᕋ ᐃᑦᑐᓐᓄ ᐊᓇᓇᑦᑎᐊᓐᓄᓪᓗ ᐅᐃᓂᐸᐃᒥᐅᑕᓄᑦ, ᑕᑯᖁᓪᓗᒋ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᓐᓂᒃ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓚᐅᕐᓂᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᑯᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᖅ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᖅ; ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᐱᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓄᑦ— ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᖕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᕈᓘᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ. ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᖅ ᐊᑯᓂᐊᓗᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᐳᑦ, ᑐᖓᕕᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᕕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᓴᓇᕐᕈᑎᖏᑦᑎᒍᓪᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᖏᑦᑎᒍᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᓴᓇᔪᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖏᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᕆᔭᐅᓕᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᐅᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᐸᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖏᓐᓂᑦ. ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᒃᓴᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᖢᑎᒃ, ᑕᐃᒪᐃᓐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᖅ ᒪᑐᐃᖅᓯᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒡᓗ ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂ 1963-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒪᑐᐃᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓴᓇᕙᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑕᒪᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᒧᑦ ᑎᑭᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᑭᕗᑦ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᕿᕐᓂᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᒃᑯᓯᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᓪᓕᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᐅᓯᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ.¹ ᑕᐃᒪᓕ

Threading Memories

were taking the sewing skills learned at home, honed while making beautiful clothing for their families, and applying them to the production of art. Although artists experimented with different art forms, the focus has always been on sharing stories. In spite of the histories often accompanied by settler perspectives, nivingajuliat are a vibrant way to narrate Inuit stories and traditions, encoded with culture and language in the art form. The stitches in these textiles represent the multi-layered art history of Qamani’tuaq but also transfer the value and legacy of the practice of sewing within Inuit culture and history. Untitled (1979) by Jessie Kenalogak takes on this charge didactically, creating a sort of artful instruction manual for living on the land, which highlights the importance of passing on Inuit knowledge to younger generations. In Untitled, the words “In 1940/ Inuk Tent/ Made From/ Tukto Skin/ and Sinew” are stitched around two bright pink tents in the centre, both tents held up with the shapes of caribou bones. The inventory of materials and the call to the past emphasizes the need to perpetuate this knowledge through the art itself. Nivingajuliat are equally important for the unique and often gendered narratives they capture. Nivingajuliat are primarily created by women, offering glimpses into their lives and telling stories from their perspectives—stories that might otherwise be excluded from tangible records.² The unique opportunity afforded by these works, to engage with a female-dominated art form, is one that I gravitate toward because I can often personally relate to the art, the stories and the emotions that are being shared.

Inuit Art Quarterly

ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᓂᒃ ᑎᑭᑦᑐᖃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒧᑦ 1960-ᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᐱᖃᑎᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᓂᒃ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᓕ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓕᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐃᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᖃᐅᔨᔾᔪᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᓕᐅᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓚᒥᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑐᕈᑎᒋᓕᖅᖢᓂᔾᔪᒃ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒥᑦ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕈᑎᖃᐃᓐᓇᐅᔭᖅᑐᑦ. ᑎᑭᑕᐅᕙᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓂᒃ, ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔾᔪᑕᐅᕗᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ, ᐃᓚᖃᕆᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᓂᕕᖓᑕᓕᐅᖅᐸᒃᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᕆᕗᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᐱᐅᓯᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᑎᒎᓇᖅ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᑕᖏᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᐅᓯᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᑕᐃᒡᒍᓯᖃᖖᒋᑦᑐᖅ (1979) ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᔭᓯ ᑭᓇᓗᒐᕐᒧᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᖅᐳᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᐅᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᖕᒪᑕ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᓄᑲᖅᖠᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᑕᐃᒡᒍᓯᖃᖖᒋᑦᑐᖅ, ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᑦ “1940-ᒥᑦ/ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑐᐱᖓ/ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ/ ᑐᒃᑐᑉ ᐊᒥᐊᓂᒃ/ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᕙᓗᒥᒃ” ᒥᖅᓱᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᒪᕐᕉᖖᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᐸᔮᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑐᐱᕐᓂᒃ ᕿᑎᐊᓃᖢᑎᒃ ᑖᒃᑯᐊᓗ ᑐᐲᑦ ᓇᑉᐸᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑐᒃᑑᑉ ᓴᐅᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᐃᓱᒪᓂᑐᖃᖅ ᐊᑐᕈᑕᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᒻᒪᕆᐅᕗᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᑎᒍᑦ. ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᒋᕗᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᖏᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᕙᖕᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᒥᔪᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑕᑯᓯᒪᔭᒥᓂᒃ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᔾᔮᖏᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ.² ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ, ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ, ᐅᕙᓐᓄᓪᓕ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔾᔪᑎᒋᕙᒃᑕᒃᑲ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖕᒪᑕ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᑎᒍᑦ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᖕᓂᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ.

Spring 2020

OPPOSITE

Naomi Ityi (1928–2003 Qamani’tuaq) — Untitled (With tattooed faces) c. late 1990s Duffel, felt and embroidery thread 158.7 × 193.1 cm COURTESY EXPANDINGINUIT.COM

ᐃᒡᓗᐊᓂᑦ (ᐊᑕᓃᑦᑐᖅ)

ᓇᐃᐅᒥ ᐃᑦᔨ (1928–2003 ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᑦ ) — ᑕᐃᒡᒍᓯᖃᖖᒋᑦᑐᖅ (ᑐᓐᓂᓕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑮᓇᐃᑦ ) c. 1990 ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᐃᔾᔪᔪᖅ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ 158.7 × 193.1 cm ᐊᐃᑦᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ EXPANDINGINUIT.COM

RIGHT

Myra Kukiiyaut (1929–2006 Qamani’tuaq) — Summer Camp 1989 Duffel, felt and embroidery thread 86.4 × 67.3 cm COURTESY WADDINGTON’S

ᕿᑎᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ

ᒪᐃᕋ ᑯᑮᔭᐅᑦ (1929–2006 ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᑦ ) — ᐊᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᓄᓇᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ 1989 ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᐃᔾᔪᔪᖅ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ 86.4 × 67.3 cm ᐊᐃᑦᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᕗᐊᑎᖕᑕᓐ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᖃᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ

The seminal 1974 exhibition organized by the Canadian Eskimo Arts Council, entitled Crafts from Arctic Canada, is particularly notable when considering the trajectory of nivingajuliat art history. Featuring clothing, ceramics, dolls, jewellery and nivingajuliat, the exhibition was one of few early exhibitions of Inuit art that celebrated artmaking techniques beyond carving and printmaking, making it a watershed moment for Inuit textile artists. In the exhibition catalogue Virginia J. Watt and Susan Cowman write about the translation of Inuit sewing skills to this new art form, and the curiosity of the artists in learning and experimenting with new forms. The artists, according to the catalogue, were very receptive, even to those practices they were not familiar with, because they simply “wanted to know.” Elizabeth Angrnagangrniq, Martha Apsaq (1930–1995), Naomi Ityi (1928–2003), Jessie Oonark, OC, RCA (1906–1985), Mary Yuusipiq Singaati (1936–2017) and Marion Tuu’luq, RCA (1910–2002)—all from Qamani’tuaq—are among the artists included in Crafts from Arctic Canada. These trailblazing seamstresses distinguished Qamani’tuaq from other communities that were creating sewn art during this period by establishing the standard of what nivingajuliat represent, raising Inuit master stitching to new levels and experimenting in ever larger scales that departed drastically from other textile forms— beaded or embroidered clothing—that were meant to be worn. Untitled (With tattooed faces) (c. 1990s) by Naomi Ityi showcases the large format possible with nivingajuliat, as well as its ability to

Threads

ᑕᐃᓐᓇ 1974-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᓴᓇᐅᒐᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᖖᒑᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᔾᔪᑕᐅᒻᒪᕆᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐊᖑᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᒪᑯᐊ ᑕᕝᕙ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᕐᒥᔪᑦ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᑦ, ᓴᓇᖖᒍᐊᑦ, ᕿᑐᕐᖓᐅᔭᑦ, ᐅᔭᒥᑦ ᓇᒡᒍᐊᕐᒦᓪᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᑦ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑕᖁᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓴᓇᖖᒍᐊᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᐃᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐊᖑᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᑎᑭᓵᒃᓴᐅᔪᓂᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᕕᕐᔨᓂᐊ ᔨ. ᐅᐊᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓲᓴᓐ ᑲᐅᒪᓐ ᑎᑎᕋᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᖃᓄᖅ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᕙᖕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᐸᖕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐊᖑᓕᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᔪᒪᒻᒪᕆᒃᐸᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ, ᑖᓐᓇ ᑎᑭᓵᒃᓴᖅ ᒪᓕᒃᖢᒍ, ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᒻᒪᕆᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᓄᑖᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕈᓐᓇᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᔪᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖏᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᖃᐅᔨᔪᒪᒻᒪᕆᖕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᐃᓕᓴᐱ ᐊᕐᓇᒐᖕᓂᖅ ᒫᑕ ᐊᑉᓴᖅ (1930–1995), ᓇᐅᒥ ᐃᑦᔨ (1928–2003), ᔭᓯ ᐅᓈᖅ (1906–1985), ᒥᐊᓕ ᔪᓯᐱᖅ ᓯᖓᑎ (1936–2017) ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒥᐊᕆᔭᓐ ᑑ’ᓗᖅ (1910–2002)—ᑕᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᐅᔪᑦ—ᓴᓇᐅᒐᖏᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᑦ. ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᑏᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᐅᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᖏᓐᓂᖃᖅᐳᒃ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂ, ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᓄᖅ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᖑᒋᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᑖᓂᒃ—ᓲᕐᓗ ᓱᖓᐅᔭᓕᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓂᑦ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᓂᒃ— ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᑕᐃᒡᒍᓯᖃᖖᒋᑦᑐᖅ (ᑮᓇᐃᑦ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ) (c. 1990ᑎᐅᑎᓪᒍ) ᐆᒧᖓ ᓇᐃᐅᒥ ᐃᑦᔨᒧᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᓴᓇᔭᖏᓐᓂ ᐃᑦᔨ, ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᕙᖏᖢᓂ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᑕᖏᑦ

Threading Memories

LEFT

Jessie Kenalogak — Untitled 1979 Duffel, felt and embroidery floss 70.5 × 76 cm GOVERNMENT OF NUNAVUT FINE ART COLLECTION COURTESY WINNIPEG ART GALLERY PHOTO SERGE SAURETTE

ᖁᓛᓂᑦ

ᔭᓯ ᑭᓇᓗᒐᕐᒃ — ᑕᐃᒡᒍᓯᖃᖖᒋᑦᑐᖅ 1979 ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᐃᔾᔪᔪᖅ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 70.5 × 76 cm ᐊᐃᑦᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᐃᓂᐸᐃ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᖃᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᔨ ᓱᕐᔾ ᓇᐅᕆᑦ

OPPOSITE

Janet Nungnik — Eagle’s Shadow 2018 Duffel, felt and embroidery thread 146.1 × 203.2 cm COURTESY MARION SCOTT GALLERY

ᓴᐅᒥᐊᓂᑦ

ᔮᓂᑦ ᓄᖕᓂᕐᒃ — ᓇᑦᑐᕋᓕᐅᑉ ᑕᕐᕋᖓ 2018 ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᐃᔾᔪᔪᖅ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 146.1 × 203.2 cm ᐊᐃᑦᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᒥᐊᕆᔭᓐ ᔅᑲᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᖃᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ

transmit Inuit knowledge and stories. Here Ityi resists colonialism head on, telling a story to be shared with future generations of Inuit about the traditional life and religion we once practiced with angakuuniq (shamanism). Two drumming figures are interlaced with other aspects of Inuit life, such as travelling by dog team and fishing with kakivak, highlighting their importance to Inuit identity and values. What strikes me when looking at this piece is the way Ityi has helped preserve the imagery of kakiniit (tattoos) in the midst of colonial anarchy, which sought to end the practice. Thankfully, stitched iconography like Ityi’s has recorded the practice and created a safe space for Inuit women to embrace this important tradition of self-representation today. Outside of their representational work, the very act of stitching nivingajuliat sustains Inuit culture, fostering opportunities for meaningful mentorship. In 2018 I attended a printmaking and wall hanging workshop held at the Jessie Oonark Centre in Qamani’tuaq. Renowned and prolific artist Fanny Alagalak Avatituq lead the wall hanging classes, and it was endearing to watch her teach stitching techniques to a young Inuk. The care and patience she demonstrated in her teaching was as palpable as it is in her work. The impeccable artistry and skill of Avatituq’s work personifies the cultural mentorship of Inuit seamstresses, as seen in Untitled (c. 1980). The colours of this piece are striking and the details are intricate. This is, perhaps, the apex of this technique of nivingajuliat as an art form, refined through intergenerational mentorship, making Avatituq’s mentorship

Inuit Art Quarterly

ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓂᒃ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᑭᖑᕚᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᖃᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐅᒃᐱᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᖓᒃᑯᐃ ᐱᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᒪᕐᕉᒃ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᖑᐊᖅᑑᒃ ᐱᖃᑎᖃᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᓲᕐᓗ ᕿᒧᒃᓯᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᖑᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᓯᐅᖖᒍᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᑲᑭᕙᖕᒥᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᕆᕙᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᓐᓂᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᑕᐃᒪᓕ ᑕᑯᓗᐊᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔭᕋ ᐃᑦᔨᐅᑉ ᓴᓇᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᑦᔨ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᒪᑯᓂᖓ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ, ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂ ᐊᑐᖁᔭᐅᔪᓐᓃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ. ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐃᑦᔨ ᓴᓇᕙᒃᑕᖏᑦ ᑕᐅᑐᒃᖢᒋᑦ ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᓂᒋᑦ, ᐅᓪᓗᒥᐅᔪᕐᓗ ᐅᑎᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᖢᓂ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᖅᓱᕐᓂᖅ ᑲᑉᐱᐊᓇᕈᓐᓂᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᒋᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᓛᒃ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᖕᒪᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒡᓗ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑯᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐅᓪᓗᒥᐅᔪᖅ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᑦ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᓂᑦ, ᐳᐃᒍᔾᔭᐃᒃᑯᑕᕗᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᓲᕐᓗ ᑐᑭᖃᒻᒪᕆᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔾᔪᑕᐅᖕᒪᑕ. 2018-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓚᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖓ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᓂᒃ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᐃᒡᓗᒥᑦ ᐊᑎᖃᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᔭᓯ ᐅᓈᕐᒥᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᑦ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᕙᓂ ᐊᓚᒐᓚᒃ ᐊᕙᑎᑐᖅ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᒻᒪᕆᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᐅᑐᒃᖢᒍ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᐊᕙᑎᑐᖅ ᐃᕿᐊᓱᖏᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᑐᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᕙᒃᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᑖᔅᓱᒪ ᐊᕙᑎᑑᑉ ᓴᓇᔪᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖓ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᒥᖅᓱᕈᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᐃᒡᒍᓯᖃᖖᒋᑦᑐᖅ (c 1980-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ). ᓴᓇᔭᖏᑦᑕ ᑕᖅᓴᖏᑦ ᐱᐅᒻᒪᕆᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᓇᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᒻᒪᕆᒃᖢᑎᒃ. ᑖᓐᓇ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓚᐅᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᔪᒃᓴᐅᔪᖅ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓲᕐᓗ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᑎᑐᑦ, ᑕᑯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᑭᖑᕚᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᕙᑎᑐᖅ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᓂᖓ

Spring 2020

that much more special. Scenes like these at the Jessie Oonark Centre make me optimistic that the future of nivingajuliat will be as vibrant as Avatituq’s style. This impulse, to record and to pass forward, is evident across the work of many nivingajuliat artists. Irene Avaalaaqiaq Tiktaalaaq describes her work as trying “to keep our culture alive through my art. Each nivingajuliat I do tells a story or legend. Art is a way to preserve our culture.”³ Janet Nungnik is among the next generation of artists, including Avatituq, after master artists like Jessie Oonark and Marion Tuu’luuq. Nungnik’s bold colours, expansive use of stitches and novel perspectives mark her as a master artist in her own right. Nungnik has a decidedly individualistic style that she has worked hard to cultivate that parallels Avaalaaqiaq’s storytelling technique. Learning to sew from her late mother, renowned artist Martha Tiktak Anautalik (1928–2015), Nungnik has been steadily sewing nivingajuliat since the 1970s, continuing to learn new techniques while pushing the boundaries of stitching and representation. Works like Eagle’s Shadow (2018) and Kiviuq and His Journeys (2007) put Nungnik’s skills on full display through intricate shadow work and three-dimensional beading. It’s skill that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the broader art world—2019 found Nungnik with two solo exhibitions, a showing at Canada’s largest art fair and several major acquisitions. Nungnik uses her art to dig into the deep recesses of her childhood memories and bring forward images and feelings that she thought were lost. In a conversation with Nungnik, she explained that she was

Threads

ᐱᐅᒻᒪᕆᒃᖢᓂ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᐃᒡᓗᒥᑦ ᔭᓯ ᐅᓈᖅ ᐱᔪᒪᓂᖃᒻᒪᕆᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖓ ᑖᔅᓱᑐᓇᖅ ᐊᕙᑎᑐᑦ ᓴᓇᔪᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᖓ. ᐱᔪᒪᓯᑲᐅᑎᒋᓂᖅ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕐᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑐᓂᓯᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᓯᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᓂᕕᖓᑕᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᒻᒪᕆᒃᐳᖅ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᓂᕕᖓᑕᓕᐅᖅᐸᒃᑐᓄᑦ. ᐊᐃᕇᓐ ᐊᕙᓚᕿᐊᖅ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᓴᓇᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᖅᖢᓂ, “ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᖅᐳᑦ ᐆᒪᖁᓪᓗᒍ ᓴᓇᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑦ.”³ ᔮᓂᑦ ᓄᖕᓂᖅ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᓂᕕᑕᕐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᕙᒃᑐᖅ, ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᕙᑎᑐᖅ, ᓲᕐᓗ ᑭᖑᕚᕆᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᑯᓄᖓ ᔭᓯ ᐅᓈᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒥᐊᕆᔭᓐ ᑐ’ᓗᕐᒧᑦ. ᓄᖕᓂᖅ, ᓴᓇᔭᖏᑦᑕ ᑕᖅᓴᖏᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᖏᓪᓗ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑯᑕᐅᕗᖅ ᑖᔅᓱᒧᖓ ᓄᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᓄᖕᓂᖅ ᐃᒻᒥᓂ ᓴᓇᓲᖑᕗᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᒋᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᖅᖢᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᕙᒃᖢᓂᖏᑦ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐊᕙᓚᕿᐊᑉ ᓴᓇᕙᒃᑕᖏᑦᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᖢᓂ. ᐃᓕᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᓈᓇᒥᓂᒃ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᔪᓐᓃᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᐸᒃᑐᕕᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᒫᑕ ᑎᒃᑕᖅ ᐊᓇᐅᑕᓕᖕᒥᑦ (1928–2015), ᓄᖕᓂᖅ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᐸᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᓂᕕᖓᑕᓕᐊᓂᒃ ᑕᐃᒪᖖᒐᓂᑦ 1970 ᑎᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐃᓕᑦᑎᕙᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᓄᑖᓂᒃ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᒥᒃ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᓴᓇᕙᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᓲᕐᓗ ᓇᑦᑐᕋᓕᐅᑉ ᑕᕐᕋᖓ (2018) ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᕕᐅᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᕆᕙᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ (2007) ᓄᖏᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᔪᖏᓐᓂᖓ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᖃᓄᖅ ᑕᕐᕋᖑᐊᓕᐅᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᖓᓱᓕᖓᔪᓂᒃ ᓱᖓᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᕙᒃᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᐊᔪᖏᓐᓂᖓ ᖃᐅᔨᔭᐅᓯᑕᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ—2019—ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓄᖕᓂᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᔾᔪᑕᐅᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᓂ, ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᑦ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᐹᒥᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ. ᓄᖕᓂᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᒃᑐᖅ ᓴᓇᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂ ᓄᑕᕋᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᖑᐊᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᒥᓂᒡᓗ ᓴᓇᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᓯᐅᓇᓱᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ. ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᓄᖕᓂᖅ, ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒨᕆᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ 6-ᓂᒃ ᐅᕙᓘᓐᓂᑦ 7-ᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖃᐅᒪᓗᐊᖏᒃᑲᖢᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ.

Threading Memories

Inuit Art Quarterly

Spring 2020

Threads

Threading Memories

PREVIOUS SPREAD

BELOW

Janet Nungnik — Kiviuq and His Journeys 2007 Duffel, felt, embroidery floss and beadwork 88.9 × 144.8 cm

Marion Tuu’luq (1910–2002 Qamani’tuaq) — Untitled 1979–80 Duffel, felt, embroidery floss and beadwork 113.5 × 150 cm

COURTESY MARION SCOTT GALLERY

ᑭᖑᓂᐊᒍᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ

ᔮᓂᑦ ᓄᖕᓂᕐᒃ — ᑭᕕᐅᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᖓ 2007 ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᐃᔾᔪᔪᖅ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓱᖓᐅᔭᓕᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ 88.9 × 144.8 cm ᐊᐃᑦᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᒥᐊᕆᔮᓐ ᔅᑲᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᖃᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ

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ᐊᑕᓃᑦᑐᖅ

ᒥᐊᕆᔭᓐ ᑐ ’ᓗᕐᒃ (1910–2002 ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᑦ ) — ᑕᐃᒡᒍᓯᖃᖖᒋᑦᑐᖅ 1979–80 ᖃᓪᓗᓇᖅᑕᖅ ᐃᔾᔪᔪᖅ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓱᖓᐅᔭᓕᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ 113.5 × 150 cm ᐱᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦᑕ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᖃᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖃᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᔨ ᓕᑉᒪᓐ ᔅᑎᐅᓪ ᐊᔾᔨᖑᐊᑦ

Inuit Art Quarterly

Spring 2020

settled in the community of Qamani’tuaq around six or seven years old, and was not able to recall many memories from then. Yet through her art she has been able to open a seam revealing many of her childhood memories that had been hidden for years. “I can’t remember how our camp looked when I was growing up,” she told me, “but when I started making art I started to remember things, including where my mother would be when she cooks.”4 That little intimate detail is an important thread to Nungnik’s past that connects her to her family and her homeland. This is a strong demonstration of the power of art. Not only does art give you the opportunity to document and convey oral histories, traditional stories, Inuit material culture and Inuit values, it allows you to reconnect with your own histories, and helps one find their place in the broader story. Inuit art histories written by non-Inuit are often prefaced by narratives of survival, where Inuit are depicted as working hard to endure life in a harsh and extreme environment. These narratives are damaging as they perpetuate the colonial gaze and prevent Inuit from representing ourselves the way we want in media. These depictions are well trodden and persist today, continuing to speak over Inuit voices. The recent backlash to the New York Times article “Drawn From Poverty: Art Was Supposed to Save Canada’s Inuit. It Hasn’t,” shows that Inuit still combat these tropes, disputing the paternalistic gaze of non-Inuit art historians and writers. Nivingajuliat makers can interrupt this gaze, weaving their own direct counter-narratives. The cloth works of Ityi, Nungnik and other Inuit seamstresses refuse the tropes of decline and nostalgia assigned by outsiders, and depict scenes of renewal and transformation: sons-in-law joyfully received after a successful hunt, intergenerational games played in the freshness of spring and patterns that shift one’s sense of place and ground. Creating space to tell our own stories, from our own perspective, is an important part of decolonizing our art,5 and this practice of self-representation is an essential facet of the story of nivingajuliat. Not only are the styles and perspectives deeply individual, each artist stitches their names into the art, as though offering their names as a personal, authorial corrective to the colonial histories that shape the descriptions of Inuit artmaking. Sewing, in this way, has created its own divergent art history in the Arctic, and I don’t think it is a coincidence that these unique, stitched stories emerged during the height of colonialism in Qamani’tuaq. At a time when artists and art historians were framing Inuit art and language as cultural products in need of saviours, women were threading our collective memories, language and traditions onto wool duffel and disseminating our stories for everyone to see.

ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ, ᓴᓇᕙᒃᑕᖏᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᑎᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᓄᑕᕋᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᒃᑕᕕᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᑯᕙᒃᑕᕕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᔨᖅᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᓂᒃ ᐊᒥᓱᐊᓗᖕᓂᒃ. “ᐃᖃᐅᒪᖏᑦᑐᖓ ᖃᓄᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖁᑎᕗᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᖓᓚᐅᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐱᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᖓ” ᐅᕙᓐᓄ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ, “ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ, ᒥᖅᓱᖃᑦᑕᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᖓ ᓂᕕᖓᑕᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᐃᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖓ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓈᓇᒐ ᓇᓃᑉᐸᓚᐅᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᒐᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓂᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ.”4 ᑖᓐᓇ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᒋᔭᖓ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓂᖅ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᕗᖅ ᓄᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐃᓚᒥᓄᑦ ᐅᑎᕈᑎᒋᓪᓗᓂᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᒋᕙᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓᓄᑦ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᑎᒍᑦ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᕐᓂᖅ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓄ ᑐᓂᓯᕙᒃᑐᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓂᐊᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᖏᑦᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕐᒥᒃ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᖖᒋᑦᑎᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᓐᓂᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᑲᑎᑎᑦᑎᓚᕗᖅ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᐊᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑎᒋᔪᓐᓇᖅᖢᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᓂᒋᕙᓚᐅᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᑦ ᑕᑯᓪᓗᒋ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑐᓵᓪᓗᒋᑦ. ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᐸᒃᑕᖏᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓄᑦ ᑐᓴᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᓅᕙᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓲᖑᕗᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᓴᓇᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᕙᓚᐅᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᓂᒃᓚᓱᒃᑐᒥᐅᑕᐅᑎᓗᒋᑦ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᓱᕋᖕᓂᐅᖕᒪᑕ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᕋᔭᕐᒪᑕ ᓲᕐᓗ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓄᑦ ᑕᐅᑐᒃᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᓄᖅᑲᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓇᓱᐊᕐᓗᑕ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓂᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖏᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᓇᓗᓇᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᐅᔪᖅ, ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒍᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᕐᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᑦ ᑐᓴᖅᑕᐅᖏᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᑎᑎᕋᐅᓯᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ New York Times “ᐊᔪᖅᓴᕈᓐᓃᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ: ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐃᓄᖁᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᔪᖅᓴᕈᓐᓃᖅᑎᑦᑎᒋᐊᖃᓚᐅᕋᓗᐊᕐᒪᑕ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐅᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐱᖕᒪᑕ,” ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᐊᐃᕙᔾᔪᑎᖃᐃᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ ᓱᓕ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᐅᔪᖅ ᓲᕐᓗ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ. ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐅᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᑦ ᓄᖅᑲᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᒥᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓗᑎᒃ. ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᖑᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑖᔅᓱᒧᖓ ᐃᑦᔨᒧᑦ, ᓄᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓲᖑᕗᑦ ᐱᓪᓚᑦᑕᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᓚᐅᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓᓕ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ, ᓴᓇᕙᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᔭᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᓲᕐᓗ ᓂᖓᐅᖓ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒪᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᖑᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᓂᕐᔪᑎᓂᒃ, ᐱᖑᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᓪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᓂᒡᓚᓱᒍᓐᓃᕐᒪᑦ ᐅᐱᕐᖓᒃᓵᒥᒃ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᓴᓇᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᓲᖑᕗᒍᑦ, ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ ᑕᐅᑐᓚᐅᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᖢᑕ,5 ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᓛᒃ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᖕᒪᑦ ᓴᓇᕙᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᔭᑦᑎᒃ ᓂᕕᖓᔪᓕᐊᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᓪᓗᑕ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊᓗ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᓗᑎᒃ, ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᑭᓇᒧᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖅᐸᒃᖢᑎᒡᓗ ᑕᕝᕗᖕᒐ ᓴᓇᔭᒥᓂᒃ, ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒻᒪᓐ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖅᐸᒃᑐ ᑐᓂᓯᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔨᒋᔭᐅᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐱᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊᓕ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓂᖕᒑᖅᑐᑦ ᓱᓕᖏᒻᒪᑕ. ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᖅ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᓂᕕᖓᔭᓕᐅᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᓯᒪᒻᒪᕆᖕᒪᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐃᓅᓯᖃᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᒃᑕᖏᓪᓗ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᐃᒪ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᓂᑦ ᓱᖁᓯᖏᑦᑎᐊᕐᒪᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᑎᑭᓚᐅᖏᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓱᓕ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒧᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᓕ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᒪᔾᔪᑎᒋᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᒋᑦ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᖃᑦᑕᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᒥᓂᒃ, ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᒥᓂᒡᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᒥᖅᓱᕐᕕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᑭᒃᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓄᑦ.

NOTES

The print program was established in the 1960s, and the first annual collection was released in 1970. The Sanavik Co-op suspended the print program in 1990. 2 Although nivingajuliat are primarily produced by women, there are also men who produced the sewn art, and some became well known in their own right. Jimmy Taipana (1919–2000) and Normee Ekoomiak (1948–2009) are two such examples of nivingajuliat producers. 3 Nasby, Judith. Irene Avaalaaqiaq: Myth and Reality. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2002. 4 Janet Nungnik interview conducted by author in December 2019. 5 Smith, Linda Tuhiwai. “Forward.” In Decolonizing Research: Indigenous Storywork as Methodology, edited by Jo-Ann Archibald Q’um Q’um Xiiem et al. London, UK: Zed Books, 2019.

Threads

ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ 1960-ᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ 1970-ᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ. ᓴᓇᕕᒃ ᑯᐊᐸᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᑎᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ 1990-ᒥᑦ. 2 ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓂᕕᖓᑕᓕᐊᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᖄᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᑕᐃᒪᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐊᖑᑎᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᕙᖕᒥᔪᑦ. ᔨᒥ ᑕᐃᐸᓈ (1919–2000) ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᐊᕐᒥ ᐃᑯᒥᐊᖅ (1948–2009) ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᓂᕕᖓᑕᓕᐅᖅᐸᓚᐅᕐᒥᔪᒃ. 3 ᓇᔅᐱ, ᔪᑎ. ᐊᐃᕇᓐ ᐊᕙᓚᕿᐊᖅ: ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓱᓕᔪᑦ. ᒪᕐᑐᕆᐊ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑭᖕᔅᑕᓐ: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2002. 4 ᔭᓂᑦ ᓄᖏᐅᑦ ᐅᖃᕐᓂᑯᐊ ᐊᐱᖅᓱᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑎᓯᐱᕆ 2019ᒥ. 5 ᓯᒥᑦ, ᓕᓐᑕ ᑕᕼᐃᕙᐃ. “ᓯᕗᒧᐊᕐᓂᖅ.” ᖃᐅᔨᕈᑕᐅᔪᖅ: ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓇᕈᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ, ᐊᖅᑮᒃᓱᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐅᒧᖓ ᔪ-ᐊᓐ ᐊᕐᓯᐸᓪᑦ Q’uim Q’uim Xiiem et al. London UK: Zed Books, 2019.

Threading Memories

Over the past decade, fashions from the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coldest places have been turning up the heat, from award show red carpets to the most prestigious runways in New York and Paris. Here, we convene five emerging designers from the global North whose designs are shaking up fashion weeks, carving new paths in the industry and redefining contemporary Indigenous fashion.

Bibi Chemnitz Est. 2006 Copenhagen, DK, and Nuuk, GL â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

BELOW

Tattoo Turtleneck Jersey Dress, Blue Glitter Inuit Collar Dress and Snow Mohair Arch Turtleneck ALL COURTESY BIBI CHEMNITZ

OPPOSITE

Extra Long Spray Down Jacket, Black Thermo Skirt, and BIBI Rib Turtleneck

Inuit Art Quarterly

Spring 2020

“The story of our brand is Bibi’s heritage, her Greenlandic heritage,” says David Røgilds, Bibi Chemnitz’s design and life partner, over the phone from Copenhagen. “We take elements from the Arctic landscape and Inuit culture and bring it into a mainstream streetwear fashion space. We wanted to compete internationally, and needed a brand that people could decode very fast, and no one had ever done this before.” The specificity and boldness of Bibi Chemnitz’s design voice has led to a decade of showings at Paris, Florence and Tokyo’s seasonal fashion shows. After relocating from Nuuk, Greenland to Denmark when she was 13, learning to live between two cultures has profoundly influenced her design practice

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and philosophy—and her clothing line attempts to bridge these two worlds. Inuit iconography, such as traditional tattoos and avittat patterns, distinguish her streetwear designs, and much of her work interrogates traditional Inuit forms, introducing them to a wider world: “We have a strong Inuit influence, but we have always tried to be a non-tourist brand. Our clothes are for everybody, and they have to work in Nuuk, they have to work in Tokyo, in Copenhagen, in Paris.” For Bibi Chemnitz and David Røgilds, these translations run both ways and they have been focusing recently on building a line that combines the sleekness of streetwear with materials suitable for outdoor activities in

Greenland. “Most people living in Greenland have a close connection with nature. They go fishing and hunting, so we try to make clothes for those situations.” They recently outfitted Team Greenland at the 2018 Arctic Winter Games in athletic gear and will be outfitting teams at Avannaata Qimussersua, Greenland’s National Dogsled Championships, this spring. Though headquartered in Copenhagen, Bibi Chemnitz is a trailblazer among contemporary designers in Greenland. Returning home often, she runs workshops for schoolaged children on fashion design, trying to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit and instill the confidence to pursue a creative life. –Michael Stevens, Managing Editor

The New Arctic Cool

Nuvuja9 Est. 2016 Iqaluit, NU —

Melissa Attagutsiak was never one for a standard 9 to 5. In 2015, the young designer began to teach herself to bead and sew and just four years later she was showing her collection beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, for World Indigenous Fashion Week in March 2019. Her brand Nuvuja9 (meaning Cloud 9 in Inuktitut) comprises everything from tailored sealskin bodices, elegant formal and semi-formal gowns, jewellery and beyond. After initially launching and developing her brand in Ottawa, ON, Attagutsiak moved home to Iqaluit, NU, where she continues to work

Inuit Art Quarterly

and develop new original designs on an ongoing basis. Despite being in the early stages of her career, Attagutsiak already has a significant customer and fan base that includes big names in the Inuit world such as musical duo Silla and Rise and The Grizzlies actress Anna Lambe. Another customer, collaborator and close personal friend of Attagutsiak’s was the late Junonominated pop singer Kelly Fraser, who frequently attended shows and events wearing her creations. During her time in Paris, Attagutsiak

met fellow designer Victoria Kakuktinniq of Victoria’s Arctic Fashion where the two began to collaborate on the Upingaksaaq Fashion Show in Iqaluit, NU, in April 2019. A distinctly community affair, Attagutsiak recalls a packed house and an enthusiastic reception from the audience. “Most of the time people watching [fashion shows] are just quietly observing. But during this one, everyone started screaming at the top of their lungs as soon as the first model came out and it went on like that until the end. It was really cool.” –Emily Henderson, Profiles Editor

Spring 2020

LEFT

Model wearing sealskin offshoulder top and polar bear claw earrings at Paris Indigenous Fashion Show PHOTO BAZHNIBAH PHOTOGRAPHY

OPPOSITE (LEFT)

White and champagne dress and polar bear claw earrings COURTESY MELISSA ATTAGUTSIAK

OPPOSITE (RIGHT)

Caribou antler earrings, beaded necklace, sealskin shawl and sweetheart top with seal leather skirt PHOTO IPPIKSAUT FRIESEN COURTESY MELISSA ATTAGUTSIAK

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The New Arctic Cool

Victoria’s Arctic Fashion Est. 2013 Kangiqliniq (Rankin Inlet), NU, and Winnipeg, MB —

BELOW

Sealskin and leather jacket with beaded embroidery EARRINGS BY UGLY FISH DESIGN ALL PHOTOS MARIANA B. GUARDADO

OPPOSITE (TOP RIGHT)

Collared dress with fringe BEADWORK BY LORI TAGOONA EARRINGS BY MATHEW NUQINGAQ

OPPOSITE (BOTTOM RIGHT) OPPOSITE (TOP LEFT)

Beaded dress

Beaded skirt

BEADWORK BY LORI TAGOONA AND NANCY GOUPIL EARRINGS BY MATHEW NUQINGAQ

BEADWORK BY LORI TAGOONA EARRINGS BY MICAH INUTIQ

OPPOSITE (BOTTOM LEFT)

Leather crop blazer with beaded embroidery with leather sealskin skirt and chiffon train EARRINGS BY UGLY FISH DESIGN

An icon in contemporary Inuit fashion, Victoria’s Arctic Fashion founder and designer Victoria Kakuktinniq is no stranger to the global stage. Her signature designs hit the runway of the February 2019 Paris Fashion Week, with a feature in the worldrenowned New York Fashion Week following a year later in February 2020. Originally from Kangiqliniq, NU, and a fashion design graduate from MC College in Winnipeg, MB, Kakuktinniq has made a name for herself with her form-fitting sealskin parkas, tie-up bodices and asymmetrical zippers in sealskin, seal leather

Inuit Art Quarterly

and commander materials. Her signature designs expertly marry traditional Inuit style with modern couture; they are fresh reminders of the distinctive Kivalliq traditional clothing worn by Inuit for centuries, with thick round fur hoods, colour-blocked contrast hems and sleeves and often embellished with her distinctive embroidery. Kakuktinniq also designs enormously popular sealskin headbands, cuffs and mitts, and has worked with other Inuit designers and makers to incorporate jewellery and beading into her work. Some of the standout designs that have

helped Kakuktinniq make an international name for herself include tunniit-inspired chevron designs, amauti-style hemlines with a modern curve and expertly crafted seal leather and sealskin designer blazers and parkas. Kakuktinniq’s contemporary aesthetic, combined with her thorough knowledge of distinctly Inuit patterns, make for the wildly successful and distinctive clothing line which can be found in stores ranging from boutiques in Newfoundland, Manitoba, and Nunavut to high-end shops in Nuuk, Greenland. –Napatsi Folger, Contributing Editor

Spring 2020

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The New Arctic Cool

Hinaani Designs Est. 2016 Arviat, NU —

“Inuit have always made their own clothing, and those clothes evolved with different materials and sewing techniques, but have mainly stuck to kamiit and outerwear, so we thought it would be cool to have t-shirts and caps that were Inuk as well,” says Nooks Lindell of Hinaani Designs, over the phone. Hinaani is a streetwear and athleisure fashion design collective of four members from across the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, including Lindell heading up the design team, as well as Paula Ikuutaq Rumbolt, Lori Tagoona and Emma Kreuger. “Inuit weren’t allowed to brag—we’re usually a very humble people—so you showed your hunting and sewing capabilities in how you dressed,” explains Lindell. He hopes that his clothing and accessories can come to

Inuit Art Quarterly

signify cultural richness for those who wear them in a similar vein: “We should have everyday, accessible items to show your Inuk pride.” While Lindell sees the Hinaani brand as fostering cultural and local pride, he has come to view the process of making the garments as culturally restorative in itself. Hinaani incorporates Inuit symbols and patterns, like kakinniit and printed uluit, to remind customers that Inuit traditions weren’t just nearly forgotten. “There were rules set in place to make sure they were forgotten,” he stresses, “To make sure that traditions— like tattooing, drum dancing even—were eradicated.” Making these clothes for Inuit clientele has opened up the Hinaani designers to talking to elders and family about these

traditions, and Lindell has come to see their clothes as a means for continuity. “Every design we make is another opportunity to show our love, where we can get creative and enjoy it and learn more of our culture.” Hinaani’s t-shirts, skirts, hats and athleisure wear have quickly earned a receptive and eager following since their first release of screen printed shirts, produced at the Jessie Oonark Centre in Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU. They’re carving a new path in the burgeoning industry and debuted a runway line alongside fellow Inuit fashion house Victoria’s Arctic Fashion at New York Fashion Week earlier this spring. –Michael Stevens, Managing Editor and John Geoghegan, Contributing Editor

Spring 2020

OPPOSITE

Kakinniit Crown cap and antler earrings ALL PHOTOS COURTESY HINAANI DESIGN

ABOVE

Retro Qihik, Tuktu Camo, Black Ulu, Piruqsiat, Purple Pana, Ukkuhikhaq Tunniit and Midnight Tunniit leggings BELOW

Kamiik leggings

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The New Arctic Cool

Okpik Designs Est. 2019 Quaqtaq, QC, and Montreal, QC —

BELOW

Elisapie wearing a red amauti-inspired outfit at the Polaris Music Prize awards night in 2019 COURTESY DUSTIN RABIN / POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE

OPPOSITE

Clockwise: Takijuq, Qisilik, Atigi and Makkalik parkas COURTESY VICTORIA OKPIK

Originally hailing from Quaqtaq, Nunavik, QC and now based in Montreal, QC, designer Victoria Okpik has been creating beautiful garments for over two decades. After graduating from LaSalle College’s fashion design program in 1999, Okpik went on to spend 19 years as a head designer and seamstress for the Makivik Corporation owned and operated company, Nunavik Designs, until its closure in 2017. In the years following, Okpik continued to produce her own independent designs and formed her own brand, Okpik Designs, in 2019.

Inuit Art Quarterly

Prior to debuting her label, Okpik continued to be a sought-after designer, earning widespread notoriety for designing a sealskin bracelet that accompanied astronaut David Saint-Jacques on a December 2018 mission to the International Space Station. Less than a year later, she was commissioned by Montreal-based singer Elisapie to create a stunning sheer red amauti-inspired outfit for the artist’s gala performance during the Polaris Prize award night in September 2019. As her brand continues to grow, Okpik has focused primarily on developing parkas,

purses and pualuuks, often trimmed in fox fur and sealskin. Despite over two decades of experience, she remains clear on the everevolving challenge of her work and the dedication required to bring her visions to realization. “All I can say is that if you want to do this sort of design, it takes a lot of work,” she says. “For a parka there’s over 25 pieces [of material] that have to be cut. I do all my own samples and if I don’t like it, I have to change it again. It typically takes a couple trials until finally I get it where I want it.” –Emily Henderson, Profiles Editor

Spring 2020

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The New Arctic Cool

BACKS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; by Genevieve LeMoine and Susan A. Kaplan

TITCH Backstitch: Investigating the Nunatsiavut Embroidery Tradition

PREVIOUS SPREAD

Unidentified artist — Embroidered tablecloth with Inuit scenes (detail) n.d. Floss on cotton 84 × 86 cm ALL IMAGES COURTESY THE PEARY-MACMILLAN ARCTIC MUSEUM, BOWDOIN COLLEGE ALL PHOTOS LUC DEMERS

RIGHT

Embroidered tablecloth with polar bear hunt n.d. Floss on cotton 88 × 89 cm OPPOSITE (ABOVE)

Embroidered bureau scarf with MacMillanMoravian school, church, the Bowdoin and tree n.d. Floss on linen 41 × 122 cm OPPOSITE (BELOW)

Embroidered runner with figures, ship and tree n.d. Floss on cotton 39 × 107 cm

As we unfolded an embroidered table runner on a desk in the Nunatsiavut Government building in Nain, Nunatsiavut, NL, attendees of our open house leaned forward, eager to see what scenes were depicted on the textile. They saw inukuluit (singular: inukuluk)— tiny figures dressed in brightly coloured parkas, running hand in hand, picking berries, searching for robins’ eggs and feeding a fire for a boil-up. Some inukuluit wave to a schooner in the distance or play with a ball, while others hunt butterflies. As they had done in other Nunatsiavut communities we visited, people remarked on the skill and time required to produce these unusual textiles. We were in Nunatsiavut to learn more about this embroidery tradition, now practiced by fewer and fewer women.¹ We had twentyfour domestic textiles with us, selected from the nearly 100 pieces in the collection of the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. They were given to, or purchased by, American Arctic explorer Donald B. MacMillan and his wife Miriam MacMillan on their many trips along the Labrador coast in the schooner Bowdoin between 1921 and 1954. The MacMillans donated these works to the Arctic Museum where they have lain, unstudied, for over 50 years. The Arctic Museum’s records reveal that Nunatsiavummiut women and girls had embroidered the inukuluit on tablecloths, napkins and other domestic textiles in the middle decades of the twentieth century. We also understood that Kate Hettasch, daughter of Moravian missionaries in Labrador, taught embroidery in Labrador schools and created some of the designs featured on the embroideries. Beyond this, however, we knew little about them. We have found only scattered examples of similar embroideries in other museums and archives, and few published references to them. Judy McGrath described them in the catalogue for the 1985 exhibit Labrador Crafts Past and Present at the Memorial University of Newfoundland Art Gallery. More recently, art historian Dr. Heather Igloliorte has discussed how seamstresses transferred this style of embroidery to clothing. We were left with many

Inuit Art Quarterly

unanswered questions, and we hoped that by bringing community members and the embroideries together we could all better understand who created the designs, who did the embroidery and the contexts in which these interesting textiles were produced. The project sprung from the 2014 Heritage Forum in Nain where Susan A. Kaplan showed photographs of the embroideries in a presentation highlighting Labrador-related materials in the Arctic Museum collection. A subsequent survey about potential research topics revealed that Nunatsiavummiut were very interested in learning more about them. In the spring of 2018 we travelled to Nain with photographs of all the pieces in our collection to talk with community members about how we should proceed. The message they had for us was clear: photographs, no matter how good, would not do. To understand the pieces they needed to see the embroideries themselves. Under the guidance of a textile conservator, we packed two-dozen textiles and visited four Nunatsiavut communities in the Spring of 2019, holding open houses and one-on-one interviews so more people could see them first hand. We had many fundamental questions about the embroideries. We wondered about the nature of the authorship of the patterns, how collaborative was the embroidery of the larger pieces and how were materials obtained. We also had questions about how women learned to embroider and the social and economic contexts of their work. Most importantly, we wanted to listen and understand what the community had to say about these textiles. We learned that what we initially took to be generic backgrounds behind the inukuluit were in fact identifiable landscape features, such as Mount Sophia in Nain. Buildings were also depicted in detail: most often the distinctive Moravian church in Nain, the schoolhouse and in one case the neighbourhood around the Nain mission, complete with fenced gardens. Elders even named the families who had lived in each house, although the houses themselves are long gone.

Spring 2020

In this familiar landscape, inukuluit perform routine chores such as fetching water or carrying supplies from the pier to the school. Others carry small spruce trees, Advent gifts for their godmothers or simply walk hand-in-hand to church. The attention to detail evident in these works is remarkable, as is the craftsmanship. Stitches are tiny and even, and close attention is paid to colour schemes. While most of the figures are done in satin with stem stitches, scenes are framed by a border created using one of a variety of stitches. One tablecloth that consistently drew attention in our open houses was the sole piece with a cohesive narrative, depicting a polar bear hunt. It follows two men who leave their cabin to track a bear to a rocky shore where they shoot it, load it on a komatik and mush it home. As with all the embroideries, tiny details matter. The trajectories of the bullets are embroidered, as is the small red wound where the bullet hit its mark. When we visited the White Elephant Museum in Makkovik, Nunatsiavut, NL, historian Joan Anderson recognized this story and showed us a 1960 photograph of Kate Hettasch and Joan Cotton, both teachers at the local school, holding up a nearly identical version, troubling any hypotheses of authorship we were building. She brought out an illustrated book by another local teacher, Doris Peacock— featuring the story of a boy’s first polar bear hunt near Nain. Her illustrations for that story are similar to the embroidered scenes—could they be telling the same story? Might the embroidery pattern be based on Peacock’s book? The origins are even more complex perhaps, as shortly after the museum’s tablecloth was featured on CBC News, we heard from an archivist at the Rooms in St John’s, NL, who had recently catalogued a nearly identical pattern that had been donated by a former Grenfell nurse. Based on many stories of lengthy stays in Grenfell hospitals by north coast residents, we now suspect there were considerable back and forth influences as women moved between Moravian and Grenfell institutions, further complicating the question of authorship of individual works.

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So far, no one has been able to tell us who might have embroidered any of our pieces, and some have suggested that we might be too late; the elders who would have recognized their own handiwork have passed away. We still hold out some hope, however. In upcoming visits we will expand our study and visit institutions that have collections of embroidery patterns. We hope through the patterns we can learn more about the authorship of these pieces and the contexts in which these embroideries were made. There’s still much to learn from these cheerfully embroidered scenes of inukuluit. As we move forward in our work with community members, we are excited about the possibility of sharing these pieces more broadly in two ways: by developing a travelling exhibit or publication featuring the Arctic Museum’s collection, and fostering a larger, public conversation by publishing detailed images on Facebook.² We understand it’s crucial to investigate these threads together, supporting the renewed interest in this distinct textile tradition among generations of Nunatsiavummiut women. Talented makers from the region elaborate on this tradition. Celebrated fibre artist Shirley Moorhouse, whose wall hangings are included in The Rooms Provincial Art Collection and the Indigenous Art Collection, and younger textile artists Inez Shiwak, Chantelle Anderson and others, incorporate new materials, new narratives and mimetic techniques. It is our hope that by making the textiles in our collection widely available, the history, skill and culture carried within them can continue to inspire new artistic directions. NOTES

This project was funded by Kane Lodge Foundation, Inc. and Tradition + Transition, a partnership between the Nunatsiavut Government and Memorial University of Newfoundland with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Work was conducted under a permit from the Nunatsiavut Government. 2 Visit facebook.com/nunatsiavutembroideries to learn more. 1

Backstitch

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CURATORIAL NOTES

ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓯᑯᓯᓛᕐᒥᑦ

Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios Textile Museum of Canada

Unidentified artist (Kinngait) — Untitled 1950s–1960s Linen, stencil or block printed REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION DORSET FINE ARTS

DECEMBER 7, 2019–AUGUST 30, 2020 TORONTO, ON

by Roxane Shaughnessy

In November 2016, Textile Museum of Canada Curatorial Director Sarah Quinton and I, along with former staff member Anna Richard, were invited to Dorset Fine Arts (DFA) by Marketing Manager William Huffman to view a recently rediscovered collection of textiles. With our curiosity piqued, we made our way over to the DFA offices in the east end of Toronto. We arrived to find dozens of pieces of printed cloth featuring patterns by well-known Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU, artists. Produced over 60 years ago, designs by Pudlo Pudlat (1916–1992), Inuit Art Quarterly

Pitseolak Ashoona, OC, RCA (1904–1983), Parr (1893–1969) and others remained vibrant, engaging and expressive of the deeply felt connection between the artists and their environment. We were immediately captivated and drawn to learn more about the story behind the cloth. Though Kinngait Studios, operated by the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative (WBEC), is recognized for its successful printmaking program and for the originality of its prints, little has been recorded about the remarkable hand-printed textile initiative that took place 60

in the studios during the 1950s and 60s. The bold, graphic cotton and linen fabrics are a physical record of a short-lived experiment undertaken in the early days of WBEC, when Kinngait’s now-famous print program was just beginning. Made for interior décor during a period when artist-designed textiles were popular in North America and Europe, these midcentury designs depict legends, stories and traditional ways of life. Unlike the stone sculptures and prints also created during this period, the place and importance of Spring 2020

CURATORIAL NOTES these printed textiles in the history of Inuit cultural heritage has yet to be fully recognized. ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓯᑯᓯᓛᕐᒥᑦ Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios traces the development and impact of this initiative on the history of Kinngait’s visual culture and explores its continued relevance through the work of Inuit artists and fashion designers today. In 2017 the Textile Museum reached an agreement with our project partner, the WBEC, and the collection of nearly 200 textiles was transferred to the Museum as a long-term loan. As stewards of these fabrics, we have embraced the responsibility of creating broad access to the collection in the North and the South, developing a touring exhibition, catalogue, online resources, educational tools and programming, while ensuring ongoing community consultation and engagement. Through extensive archival research and conversations with many who are familiar with the initiative, the story of these cloths began to take shape. In 1956, fabric printing experiments were initiated by James Houston and promoted by co-op arts adviser Terry Ryan in the 1960s. By 1966, the marketing of the fabrics across Canada promoted their use to interior designers and architects as drapery in institutional and commercial settings, with the aim to make them available to the public in the future. Newspapers reported on these textiles with great enthusiasm, the fabrics won a Design ’67 Award and were exhibited at Expo ’67 in Montreal, QC. Despite the positive response, the fabrics did not sell well and the fabric printing studio in Kinngait ceased production in 1968.

This set off another period of experimentation as the fabrics continued to be commercially printed in the South and the use of the designs was licensed out—a practice that continues today. Involving the Kinngait community has been essential in the development of this exhibition, and we’ve relied on community insights to identify authorship, establish provenance and to understand the crucial contexts of this experimental period of printmaking. I was fortunate to visit Kinngait in 2018 and again in 2019 with curatorial project coordinator Alexandria Holm. Through community gatherings and informal conversations, I was able to share our research, images of the fabrics and historic photographs with artists, printmakers and community members who brought valuable new insights. After seeing the images of the 60-year-old fabrics for the first time, several participants recognized works made by their relatives and spoke with enthusiasm about their family members. Others generously shared memories and observations that helped to unfold and document the story of these cloths. We learned the designs themselves were typically crafted by the printmakers, led by Kananginak Pootoogook, RCA (1935– 2010), who selected motifs from drawings artists brought to the co-op for sale, and translated them into patterns for yardage production. Parr’s Proud Geese, screen printed on cotton sateen twill, demonstrates the effective use of a single graphic image repeated in vertical columns in alternate colours to create a striking design. In the

ABOVE

Kenojuak Ashevak in garment showing textile printing, 1968 PHOTO NORMAN HALLENDY COURTESY MCMICHAEL CANADIAN ART COLLECTION ARCHIVES

RIGHT

Installation view of ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓯᑯᓯᓛᕐᒥᑦ Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios PHOTO DARREN RIGO

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CURATORIAL NOTES

gallery, Parr’s 1963 stonecut print on paper, Geese, Dog, and Walrus, is displayed adjacent to the fabric, showing the relationship between the original image and the fabric. A design by Paunichea (1920–1968) is handprinted on unbleached cotton likely using a stencil and brush technique—probably produced before the printmakers adopted the more efficient silkscreen method in 1963. In this experimental piece the printmaker’s hand is visible; there are smudges of colourant and some of the repeat designs are unevenly placed, indicating a process of trial and error as printmakers persevered to produce a marketable product. The exhibition design is intended to reflect the context and time period of this textile printing initiative. The fabrics were initially targeted directly to architects and public works officials as the scale of the patterns made them suitable for use in large spaces. Therefore it was important to display them to fully maximize the effect of the designs. Originally, bolts of the printed yardage would have been rolled on tubes for sale; in the exhibition we use cardboard tubes to drape the fabrics from the ceiling to the gallery floor. These printed textiles have important antecedents in Inuit culture. Beginning in the 1950s “skin pictures” or hangings, decorated with appliquéd images made of seal or caribou skin, were among the graphic precursors to printmaking. We have installed an example from the Textile Museum’s permanent collection alongside textiles from other later fabric initiatives including an appliqué wall hanging by Janet Nungnik (b. 1954) from Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU, and batiks from Puvirnituq, Nunavik, QC— demonstrating the far reaching impact of the original textile program on artists in other communities. Elsewhere in the gallery a silkscreen from Kinngait is displayed alongside its matching fabric, while stencil brushes are on view opposite a photograph taken in 1959 showing James Houston and printmakers Osuitok Ipeelee, RCA (1922–2005), Kananginak Pootoogook and Lukta Qiatsuk (1928–2004) at work stencilling fabric in the studio. Other historic photographs animate spaces throughout the exhibition where the textiles appear in several contexts: newspaper articles, at Expo ’67, modelled as clothing in an Arctic fashion shoot and fashioned into garments worn by Kenojuak Ashevak, CC, ON,

RCA (1927–2013) and Mialia Jaw (1934–2006) in photographs by Norman Hallendy. An interactive digital app presents interviews with Studios’ artists Ningiukulu Teevee, Johnny Pootoogook, Ooloosie Saila and Malaija Pootoogook, along with videos and stories relating to subjects illustrated in the textiles. And the voices of the artists, co-op staff and community members including former Kinngait Studios manager Jimmy Manning and curatorial consultant Nakasuk Alariaq are further integrated into the narrative through the use of quotes on the gallery walls and in didactic materials. Inuit fashion designers Tarralik Duffy of Ugly Fish, Martha Kyak of InukChic and Nooks Lindell of Hinaani Design offer contemporary perspectives on the textiles. Each are establishing brands that blend Inuit cultural heritage with contemporary fashion, creating innovative ways to represent their culture. Inspired by the Kinngait textiles, each created original printed fabric designs for the exhibition, and, in the case of Kyak and Lindell, these were made into garments. When the designers viewed the Kinngait textiles for the first time, they expressed an immediate connection with the works. Kyak observed, “Looking at these images on the fabrics… you can tell how everything they knew about the world is connected and see their strong worldview.” Like the Kinngait artists of 60 years ago, this new generation draws inspiration for their own experiments with printed textiles from their culture. Duffy produces leggings printed with syllabics “to preserve our language and keep it visible through fashion,” while Lindell describes how his designs “are inspired by our wildlife, our land and our culture… and then taking that inspiration and giving it a modern twist.” Their works speak to the continued significance of these early printed fabrics and their relevance today. We hope that ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓯᑯᓯᓛᕐᒥᑦ Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios will shine a light on the story of this innovative textile printing initiative. This exhibition was made possible through the collaboration and contributions of many who have advised, guided and supported the project. These powerful graphic representations of the natural world express Inuit values and culture, while preserving Inuit knowledge, oral histories and legends, and demonstrate the importance of printed fabrics in the ongoing evolution of Inuit graphic arts.

Pitseolak Ashoona (1904–1983 Kinngait) — Snowy Owls 1950s–1960s Linen, screen printed REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION DORSET FINE ARTS

Inuit Art Quarterly

Spring 2020

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John Houston admiring Caribou (1948), the first work of contemporary Inuit art. Conlucy Nayoumealook (1891-1966) of Inukjuak, Nunavik. Photo: Dennis Minty

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REVIEW

Kudluajuk Ashoona Madrona Gallery

BELOW

Kudluajuk Ashoona (1958–2019 Kinngait) — Untitled (Girl putting on her boot) 2016 Coloured pencil 58.5 × 76 cm

NOVEMBER 2–15, 2019 VICTORIA, BC

ALL COURTESY MADRONA GALLERY ALL ARTWORKS REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION DORSET FINE ARTS

by Natalia Esling

Kudluajuk Ashoona’s (1958–2019) first solo exhibition is at once intimate and curious, lighthearted and heartfelt. Each drawing evokes a sense of familiarity and strangeness—the feeling of being offered access to a personal memory but not its full narrative. The vibrant colours and distinct eyes of the figures draw the viewer in, gesturing to the many stories inevitably surrounding these images, and yet the works are untitled, evading authorial explanation. These subtle paradoxes make Ashoona’s work particularly captivating and provoke active engagement on behalf of the viewer. They insist on an intimacy of reflection that considers the range of stories, activities, gatherings, events and relations that comprise contemporary Inuit family and community life. Based largely on photographs, Ashoona’s coloured pencil drawings invite viewers to Inuit Art Quarterly

engage with her re-imagined snapshots of everyday life in Kinngait. Her presence can be sensed within her artistic interpretation of these scenes. Just as she observed each photograph (or perhaps the actual moments through the camera’s lens) to transform them into drawings, so too are viewers invited to observe her drawings and contemplate the many-layered, collective memories they archive. This juxtaposition of perspectives fosters a sense of warmth. It evokes the ineffable quality of memory and lived experiences, asking viewers to notice the careful way in which Ashoona renders these moments for others to witness. Ashoona builds on the ground-breaking representations of Annie Pootoogook, RCA (1969–2016) by capturing the joyful energy of leisure activities and family gatherings. Ashoona’s portrayal of recreation is best 64

illustrated through multiple pieces showcasing children and youth: they wear homemade Halloween costumes and experiment with makeup and hairdos. One untitled piece depicts two figures with arms around each other, giving what appears to be the middle finger. By spotlighting casual attitudes and gestured expletives, Ashoona calls to mind familiar, playful responses to having one’s photo taken and the sacred bond of teenagehood. In sharing her artistic rendering of private photos not usually meant for public exhibition, Ashoona challenges viewers to discover a new understanding of contemporary Inuit life. Another untitled drawing features a band and audience members grooving to music; the name Sugluk—the first Inuit rock band— is etched on the drum kit. The band members and dancers wear long hair and 1970s-era Spring 2020

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BELOW

Untitled (Band playing) 2018 Coloured pencil and ink 58.5 × 76 cm

glasses and button-up shirts. The piece exudes modernity, prompting the viewer to consider the place of popular entertainment in Ashoona’s community. A similar work features a figure in plaid, sitting next to a record player in front of a union jack flag. The relaxed, stylish tone of this portrait demonstrates the kind of matter-of-fact intimacy that defines much of Ashoona’s work: during the 1970s, while graphic artists were creating prints that focused on certain aspects of Inuit life, such as seal hunting and igloo building, members of the community were dancing and listening to rock music. Nicotye Samayualie’s influence on her mother’s work is unmistakable in Ashoona’s drawings of beads and rocks that feature tiny, colourful circles. During the exhibition viewers could observe Samayualie’s print Polished

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A matter-of-fact intimacy defines Ashoona’s work: during the 1970s, while graphic artists created prints focusing on certain aspects of Inuit life, such as seal hunting and igloo building, members of the community danced and listened to rock music.

Buttons (2013). The similarities of the pieces are poignant, as are their differences. Where the outlines of Samayualie’s buttons enclose the various colours, Ashoona’s colours gently bleed between the lines; still, both works create a feeling of infinite layering and movement through the repetition of a pattern. These characteristics emphasize each artist’s unique perspective as well as their connection. In Ashoona’s drawings every detail is foregrounded equally, creating a perceptual flattening of the figures and objects she draws. The effect of this style is an equal emphasis on discrete features, as seen in Untitled (Girl putting on her boot): the green flowers on a girl’s dress, her purple headband, differently sized stones and pebbles on the ground, and a disproportionately large, empty can of Coca-Cola nestled between sheets of plywood.

This lack of focal point recalls the inconsequential details in a photograph that might otherwise be overlooked, but which often persist in memory. It also draws the eye away from the central figure only to insist upon its return, to study it closer and participate in generating meaning about the transient moment the original snapshot captured. The unpretentious quality of Ashoona’s artwork encourages viewers to invest time and thought not merely in observing her drawings but in critically engaging with the context in which they were produced, the personal stories they echo, and the histories and practices of artmaking with which they intersect. She calls for viewers to discern her simultaneously momentous and ordinary portrayal of family, friends and community, and to find meaning in the subtlety of this distinction.

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REVIEW

Moving with joy across the ice while my face turns brown from the sun Fazakas Gallery NOVEMBER 5–DECEMBER 15, 2019 VANCOUVER, BC

BELOW

Maureen Gruben (b. 1963 Tuktuuyaqtuq) — Assemblages #1 – #7 2019 Snowmobile flaps, beluga vertebrae, rope and embroidery thread 106.7 × 12.7 cm (each) IMAGES COURTESY FAZAKAS GALLERY

OPPOSITE

Sled 2019 Cedar, aluminum and rope 218.4 × 62.2 × 33.2 cm

by Karlene Harvey

As the days grow progressively darker in Vancouver, Maureen Gruben’s exhibition, Moving with joy across the ice while my face turns brown from the sun, opens at the Fazakas Gallery, providing visitors with a welcome reminder of the season that falls beyond the Winter Solstice. This exhibition explores a springtime ritual in Gruben’s home community of Tuktuuyaqtuq (Tuktoyaktuk), Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, featuring a body of work that reflects on generations of families gathering at Husky Lakes to icefish. It celebrates both the temporary, cyclical relief from winter and the return to immemorial practices of Inuvialuit hunting and fishing. Gruben’s mix of industrial and traditional materials, which explore their relation to land and territory, has become a distinctive attribute of her work. This exhibition focuses on qamutiit, goose-feather fishing lures and the ephemera of Ski-Doos to illustrate the individuals and activities set under the springtime sun at Husky Lakes. A series of photographs by Gruben’s longtime collaborator Kyra Kordoski are collected in a corner; the photographs document Gruben’s installation of 14 borrowed qamutiit in different arrangements on the Inuit Art Quarterly

tundra. One photo sees the qamutiit pulled into a ring with their runners facing outwards like outstretched arms. Another sees the massive sleds standing tall and anchored in the snow, highlighting their distinct dimensions. Time plays a tertiary character or coded aesthetic within these works, as Gruben responds to a tradition integrated into the cyclical nature and return of seasons: the return of families and generations of Inuvialuit to a collective hunting and fishing base. And despite the presumable labour, these photos evoke joyousness and an assurance of communal connectedness. Looking closely at these portraits, each qamutiik’s characteristics take shape, revealing their utilitarian role: white paint chipping away to reveal the sandy grain of wood, or stretched caribou skins strengthening areas weakened by hard use in the North. These qamutiit are captured without the tools they habitually carry, which elicits a deeper reverence, acknowledging each sled’s longstanding servitude to the family it belongs to. The splintered, worn edges are juxtaposed with recent homemade repairs, indicating continuous usage that spans multiple generations. Through Gruben’s eyes we see that 66

these sleds are more than vehicles for moving fishing supplies; they are modes of passing traditions, knowledge and skills to younger family members. The depiction of these sleds on the tundra honours the monumental presence of their function and how they might serve as a multigenerational tether within families who are raised through tradition upon the land. Echoing the composition of the panorama of sleds, snowmobile flaps hang on the wall like pennants. These flaps are constructed out of salvaged material: neon rope from ghost nets, discarded snowmobile flaps and beluga vertebrae found on Arctic shores. The formal similarity between these snowmobile flaps and the photographs make these immemorial spring rituals contemporary; the qamutiit present an integral container for the tools and equipment to survive upon the snow while the modern debris of the Ski-Doo asserts a means to cross this terrain. These flaps are accompanied by a sound piece filling the gallery with creaking footsteps in the snow, Ski-Doo engines igniting and the splash of fishing lines beneath the ice. In conversation with the snowmobile flaps, the audio helps locate Spring 2020

the presence of a community gathering for fishing season but also highlights the Ski-Doo as an essential vehicle for travelling across snowy terrain. Linking these thematic threads, a newly constructed qamutiik is suspended in air in the centre of the gallery, exposing aluminum beams, supported by a wooden frame and woven with neon green rope. This suspension reminds me of my grandfather’s work shed, filled with hanging hooks for fresh game, tools dangling from walls and ropes looping from the rafters. There is a familiarity to this sled’s position, but it seems out of place suspended in the stark white gallery, considering the worn quality of the well-loved qamutiit in the photographs. The runners of this sled are built of bright, yellow cedar and void of scratches except for the etching of “Moving with joy across the ice” on one runner, and “While my face turns brown from the sun” on the other. When reflecting on the pieces collected in this exhibition, I consider how this new sled has an entire lifetime ahead of it. It has yet to carve its runners in the snow or hold the generational memories incurred by seasonal usage. It’s unclear if this sled will be put to use in the North, but I hold a quiet hopefulness that it will find its way home by spring and participate in the annual journey to Husky Lakes to serve as a vehicle for families and communities to gather upon the ice. Moving with joy calls attention to the return of a new season. It centres the resilience of community traditions lighting the way forward for future generations and asserts that Inuvialuit livelihood in northern territories is both persistent and radiant in its embodiment.

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TRIBUTE

In Memoriam: The Inuit Art Quarterly Remembers

Kelly Fraser (1993–2019)

PHOTO NOEL KALUDJAK

The talented singer, songwriter and activist Kelly Fraser passed away in Winnipeg, MB, in December 2019. Fraser began playing guitar at age 11 and at just 15 years old was singing and playing guitar for The Easy Four Band. Influenced by musicians Charlie Adams, Joan Jett and Buffy Sainte-Marie, Fraser’s music blended pop sensibilities with Inuktitut language and messages of empowerment for Indigenous youth. In 2013 Fraser uploaded a video of her performing a cover of Rihanna’s “Diamonds” in Inuktitut to YouTube, which recently surpassed 1 million views, making it one of the most popular Inuktitut language songs on the internet. Following the release of her debut album, Isuma, in 2014, Fraser travelled across the Inuit Nunangat, performing concerts and teaching music workshops for youth alongside Nunavut Hitmakerz—an organization she helped found that vows “to engage, inspire, and empower Nunavummiut youth by promoting life and career development opportunities through the arts.” ᓄᓕᐊᔪᒃ (Sedna), Fraser’s 2017 sophomore album, was nominated for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards. “The goal of the album is to help heal those suffering from the effects of colonization,” she said about its release. Fraser boldly engaged in political activism: in 2019, at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, she addressed an audience of global delegates, recommending that the Forum “urge member states to recognize Indigenous languages officially as one of their national languages.” In recognition of Fraser’s activism, Indspire selected her as a Youth Laureate in 2019. Kelly Fraser used her platform to uplift Inuit. She supported Inuit designers by proudly wearing their creations, collaborated with emerging Inuit musicians and worked to create opportunities to support youth. Fraser was a powerful force and has left a significant body of work that will empower generations to come.

Charlie Panigoniak (1946–2019)

Inuit Art Quarterly

PHOTO BEN NELMS

Igluligaarjuk (Chesterfield Inlet)-born musician Charlie Panigoniak passed away at his Kangiqliniq (Rankin Inlet), NU, home in March 2019. Panigoniak’s music was a staple in homes across the North, and his influence reached across generations. He gained admiration from musicians such as William Tagoona, Susan Aglukark and The Jerry Cans. Panigoniak began producing music in the early 1970s after returning from an extended stay in Manitoba and seeing the wider world of music during his time in the South. His voice and classic country folk style were reminiscent of the sound and social impact of Woodie Guthrie. Panigoniak achieved fame for his dedication to singing in Inuktitut during an era when the language was being actively repressed. His Inuktitut lyrics about his experiences in his community and local life made his music widely accessible to Inuit across the Arctic. During a 1973 concert in Kangiqliniq, Panigoniak caught the attention of Doug Ward, who offered to record him for the CBC Northern Service in Toronto, ON, where he would produce three albums. Some of Panigoniak’s notable recordings included his album Just for Kids (1981) and an Inuktitut translation of the classic Christmas song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Widely regarded as the father of Inuktitut folk music, Panigoniak pioneered language revitalization through his music. His songs have influenced Inuit musicians for decades. He created his music with his loving partner Lorna Panigoniak. Described by his friends and fans as a humble, funny performer, Charlie Panigoniak will be missed by many, and his music and inspiration will be celebrated for years by Inuit and music lovers around the globe. 68

Spring 2020

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Kudluajuk Ashoona (1958–2019)

Owl by Killiktee Killiktee

Kudluajuk Ashoona, a talented graphic artist from Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU, passed away in November 2019. Ashoona had a short but impactful career that began in 2011 when she began making drawings with coloured pencil. Her daughters Nicotye and Pudloo Samayualie had made names for themselves as graphic artists and, in turn, encouraged their mother to make and sell her own artwork. Ashoona approached artmaking from a unique perspective; it was different from her daughters or any other artist working in Kinngait. Ashoona’s drawings are often based on personal photographs from decades past. Reinterpreted though coloured pencil, the resulting drawings are quiet but warm portraits of her community. They capture the liveliness of a modern community— people listening to music, wearing Halloween costumes, playing games and hunting—communicating a side of Inuit communities in the 1970s and 1980s not often represented in artwork. Ashoona proved that anything could be the subject of a drawing: a man drinking a cup of coffee, a woman eating an ice cream, people sharing conversations and children sleeping are but a few of the figures that occupied her dreamy compositions, and all are rendered with the same care. Some of her most compelling drawings are scenes of youth that celebrate the curiosity and creativity of childhood that are often forgotten as we age. Ashoona’s drawings have been included in exhibitions at Feheley Fine Arts in Toronto, ON, and the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver in British Columbia, and in 2019 were the subject of a solo exhibition at Madrona Gallery in Victoria, BC. A handful of Ashoona’s works have been translated to prints for release in annual Cape Dorset Print Collections, while works by the artist can be found in the permanent collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, MB. Threads

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NEWS

Updates and highlights from the world of Inuit art and culture

LEFT

OPPOSITE (ABOVE)

Zacharias Kunuk (b. 1957 Iglulik) — One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk (still) 2019 Video 112 min

Lena Kotokak’s parka for Canada Goose’s Project Atigi

COURTESY ISUMA DISTRIBUTION INTERNATIONAL INC

PHOTO JENNIE WILLIAMS

COURTESY CANADA GOOSE

OPPOSITE (BELOW)

Illusuak Cultural Centre in Nain

Kablusiak Awarded Fogo Island ArtsSobey Art Award Residency

Isuma, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers Among the Top 10 Canadian Films of the Year

In their annual analysis of Canada’s best films, the Toronto International Film Festival named One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk, directed by Isuma’s Zacharias Kunuk, and The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn, in the top 10 for Canadian filmmaking this year. The short film Throat Singing in Kangirsuk (Katatjatuuk Kangirsumi) by Eva Kaukai and Manon Chamberland was also mentioned as a top short for 2019. One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk originally premiered at the Venice Biennale before returning to Canada for TIFF this fall, and later winning the Best Canadian Film award at the 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival. Tailfeathers’ film was awarded honourable mention from the Best Canadian Film award jury at TIFF this year, and took home awards at imagineNATIVE and the Vancouver International Film Festival, as well as winning the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. Inuit Art Quarterly

Fogo Island Arts and the Sobey Art Foundation have announced that Kablusiak is the winner of this year’s Fogo Island Arts-Sobey Art Award Residency. Kablusiak will be the second artist to participate in the prestigious residency, hosted on Fogo Island, off the northern coast of Newfoundland. The now-annual residency is granted to one of the artists shortlisted for the Sobey Art Award, whose 2019 roster included award-winner Stephanie Comilang, and nominees Nicolas Grenier, Anne Low and D’Arcy Wilson in addition to Kablusiak, who was nominated in the Prairies and North category. “Through a variety of media including drawing, sculpture, performance and photography, Kablusiak engages with cultural identity and diaspora with humour and compassion. Their work compels us to rethink perceptions of Indigeneity and speaks to human resilience,” said Nicolaus Schafhausen, Strategic Director of Fogo Island Arts. Library and Archives Canada Designates More Than $350,000 in Funding for Five Inuit Arts Organizations As part of its Listen, Hear Our Voices initiative, Library and Archives Canada has awarded $2.3 million in funding to 31 Indigenous organizations to digitize existing culture and language recordings and build the knowledge and resources they need to carry out this work in their communities. Five Inuit organizations will receive funding as part of this program, totalling approximately $373,000: Them Days Incorporated, for The Voices of Them Days; Avataq Cultural Institute, for Uummatirpaa [Bring Back to Life]; Nunavut Independent Television Network, for Digitizing Inuit Media; Inuit Broadcasting Corporation, for Inuit Film and Archival Project; and Pitquhirnikkut Ilihautini/ Kitikmeot Heritage Society for Digitizing Inuit Language, Culture and Knowledge to Engage Communities in Language Revitalization. Spring 2020

NEWS

Disney Releases Movie About the Great Race of Mercy on Disney+

Canada Goose Launches Second Edition of Project Atigi

Disney’s Togo tells the story of the 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska, which saw 20 mushers and 150 sled dogs transport diphtheria antitoxin from Nenana to Nome in a record-breaking five-and-a-half days to prevent an outbreak of the highly contagious disease. The film stars Willem Dafoe as Leonhard Seppala, who along with lead sled dog Togo covered 91 out of the 260 miles on the grueling Arctic run. The film has been nominated for a Writer’s Guild Award. Shot on location in Cochrane, Alberta, producers used local Inuit artists Alberta Rose Williams, Priscilla Boulay, Shirley Steenberg and Tapisa Kilabuk as background extras, and took 360-degree photos to create 3D models of the women to digitally fill out the town.

Eighteen artists from the four regions of Inuit Nunagat have been selected to take part in the second edition of Canada Goose’s Project Atigi. The project aims to create social entrepreneurship opportunities and showcase the extraordinary craftsmanship and unique designs of Inuit artists through one-of-a-kind parkas. Designers include Blanche Winters, of Makkovik, Nunatsiavut, NL; Eileena Arragutainaq, of Sanikiluaq, NU; Freda Raddi, of Tuktuuyaqtuq, Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, and Sarah Samisack, of Inukjuak, Nunavik, QC. Each artist recieved a kit containing Arctic Tech fabric, fur trimming and fixings like linings and zippers, intended as the jumping-off point for their designs. The parkas will be sold through Canada Goose, with proceeds returning to Inuit Nunagat.

Illusuak Cultural Centre Opens its Doors in Nain, Nunatsiavut, NL

Major Donation of Inuit Art Made to the University of Alberta

Aviaq Johnston Finalist for CODE Burt Award

After breaking ground in 2014, the Illusuak Cultural Centre was opened to the public in November 2019. The 13,700 sq. ft. building hosts five permanent exhibitions, representing each Nunatsiavut community, and contains clothing, tools, crafts and other artifacts. The building also contains an auditorium for language classes, a café, a craft shop, a studio space, a 75-seat theatre and office space. Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe hopes that the centre will “bridge the generation gap between elders and youth, encouraging open dialogue, the sharing of traditional knowledge and the vision for the future.” The $18 million structure was designed by Newfoundland-born, Norway-based architect Todd Saunders, who was inspired by sod houses—temporary houses traditionally constructed by Nunatsiavummiut—to give the building its strikingly soft form.

Collector Milton Halvarson left 46 pieces of Inuit art to the University of Alberta, bringing the total donated by himself and his wife Wendy over their lifetimes to 113 works, almost 15 per cent of the university’s Inuit art collection. The Halvarson’s collection is notable for its depth: a mix of prints, sculptures and dolls that have “really added to the diversity of objects,” in the university’s collection, according to University Curator Nadia Kurd. Among the works are several pieces from the late Pitseolak Ashoona, CM, RCA (1904–1983), and a stonecut and stencil print by William Noah titled The Skeletoned Caribou (1973). The pieces were exhibited in A Collector’s Eye ᓄᐊᑦᑎᕙᑦᑑᑉ ᕿᓂᐅᓯᖓ: The Halvarson Gift of Inuit Art in December, allowing students and art-loving members of the public a peek into the variety of artmaking in the North.

Those Who Dwell Below, the sequel to Aviaq Johnston’s successful young adult novel Those Who Run in the Sky, has been nominated for the CODE Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit and Metis Young Adult Literature. The CODE Burt award is a readership initiative that recognizes excellence in YA literature and provides young readers with engaging books. The winning writer receives $6,000, and 2,500 copies of their book will be purchased by CODE and distributed free to schools and libraries across Canada. This is Johnston’s second nomination for the CODE Burt Award. Those Who Run in the Sky, the first novel in this series, was also shortlisted for the award and won the inaugural Indigenous Voices Award for Most Significant Work of Prose in English by an Emerging Indigenous Writer in 2018. It was also shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Young People’s Literature in 2017.

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LAST LOOK

Malaya Akulukjuk Qaqqilutuk

Malaya Akulukjuk (1912–1995 Panniqtuuq) — Qaqqilutuk 1995 Tapestry Artist Anna Etoangat Weaver Kawtysie Kakee Wool and cotton 107.5 × 148.3 cm COLLECTION THE WINNIPEG ART GALLERY PHOTO ERNEST MAYER

The craggy scenery of Malaya Akulukjuk’s (1912–1995) piece, dotted with inuksuit, evinces both isolation and habitation, sunny shores and the hidden shadows where other possibilities lurk. One of only four places in the world with dedicated artistic tapestry production, the Pangnirtung Tapestry Studio has been running its wool and cotton looms since 1969, and currently operates out of a 2,100 sq. ft. space in the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts and Crafts. The close proximity of the print shop, which shares the building, and the stable of graphic artists whose designs are used by both print and tapestry makers, has resulted in a strong community aesthetic that carries across media. This tapestry thrives from that proximity; its many gradients echo the stippling technique used in Pangnirtung prints, and the green and pink skyline instantly links it to the surrounding landscape of south Baffin Island. This piece is, in fact, likely drawn directly from a nearby site: in 2000, July Papatsie said “Qaqqilutuk is the name of a specific campsite where Malaya Akulukjuk’s family went every spring.”¹ Anna Etoangat, the tapestry artist who translated Akulukjuk’s drawing to the tapestry grid, said this piece was her favourite, because it reminded her of places she knew. As one of the main contributors to the tapestry studio during its first decade, Akulukjuk’s prolific graphics prompted a 1995 Special Collection of twelve tapestries, four landscapes— of which Qaqqilutuk is one—and eight smaller pieces focused on her tuurngait figures. The composition of this piece blurs the liminal barriers between elements of the landscape. The sun is high in the sky, yet a coral glow emanates from the horizon, perhaps from a settlement behind the mountains or from the land itself reflected in the air. Individual hills are distinguished by colour, without harsh outlines, while rocks stream down through rivers to the sea, linking water and earth. In this space where sea, sky and shore meet, Qaqqilutuk reminds us of the ways in which our narratives are interwoven.

NOTE

Maria Von Finckenstein, Nuvisavik: The Place Where We Weave (Montreal, Canadian Museum of Civilization and McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2002), 70. 1

Inuit Art Quarterly

Spring 2020

Inuit Art Auction MAY 26, 2020

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Visit the TD Gallery of Indigenous Art in Toronto The TD Gallery of Indigenous Art is a rotating exhibition space with the goal of presenting work from the TD Art Collection. Reflecting on important community conversations, the formerly named TD Gallery of Inuit Art has expanded to include narratives and perspectives from Canadian Indigenous communities. The TD Gallery of Indigenous Art is a rotating exhibition space that will feature work from the TD Art Collection, with the goal of amplifying Indigenous voices from all regions of Canada. Image Credit: Maria Hupfield, Snowmobile Suit for the Hudson, 2013, Industrial felt, dimensions var., TD Bank Corporate Art Collection. Learn more at td.com/art.

Visit TD Gallery of Indigenous Art at 79 Wellington St. West in Toronto. ÂŽ The TD logo and other TD trade-marks are the property of the Toronto-Domion Bank.