NWT Arts

I make dolls, slippers, mukluks, parkas, fur hats, fur gloves and mitts, amongst many other items. I do some beadwork and I do a lot of embroidery, which I add to mukluks and gloves.

When I make dolls, I use moose, cow or deer hides to make the face. I cut out all the parts needed for the nose and other features. I use seal fur to make the mitts and hides with beading for their slippers. I use canvas to make the mukluks but I add muskrat, rabbit, beaver or fox fur for the trimmings. I pick regular cloths with different colours or patterns, and I sew them together to make little parkas, shirts and pants. I even have the small doll-size patterns to make those, gifted a long time ago by my grandmother!

I always use patterns when I create any kind of clothes, for dolls and for adults. When I make mukluks, I will use my pattern to cut the stroud. Then I will draw the flowers at the centre of the piece, and from there I start embroidering. I pick up all the colours and materials that I will use before I start working on a project.

Growing up in my community, I was always surrounded by Inuvialuit culture. It’s just a part of our lives. My auntie never forced me to try sewing or learn how to make dolls, but I simply grew up watching family members working on traditional crafts. When I got interested in sewing, my sisters helped me. They would redo some of my patterns or give me mukluk patterns that were better to use, which always turned out perfect.

My auntie is the one who showed me how to make dolls. When I was pregnant with my first-born, I was 25 years old and still learning how to sew. I would sit and watch my auntie make dolls. One year, she gave me a package with everything I would need to make dolls and she told me I should try to make them too. It took me one year to open that package and try it for myself, but I have been making dolls ever since!

It wasn’t just my auntie and my sisters who taught me how to sew. It was also my grandmother and many other ladies in my community. My grandmother gave me a few patterns back then, and I would spend time with Elders, who also shared some patterns with me. They would watch me sew and show me the correct way to do things.

I really enjoy sewing, I do it almost every day. It makes me feel grounded and relaxed. I’m happy that I can carry on that tradition. I try to teach my skills and knowledge to anyone who is willing to learn. I had a lots of amazing women teaching me throughout my life and I’m glad I can pass their knowledge on. My daughters are the ones learning now, and I am so proud of them.