NWT Arts

I am a traditional artist. The majority of my sewing is carried over from my mother and mother-in-law. I make hats, mitts, gloves and headbands using traditional materials such as seal skin and moose hide, with beaver and fox fur trims. I also do a bit of beadwork, a skill I picked up in 2019. 

Growing up, my mother was an amazing seamstress. She was nine years old when her mother became sick, so she had to learn how to sew for her dad and her brothers at a very early age. She would sit with her mom in bed, learning how to make mitts and mukluks. She told me she used to cry because she would have to take things apart and start again if she made a mistake! But it had to be done because she was the only one who could sew for her mother.

Once my parents moved to Inuvik, they got janitorial jobs. In the evening, my mom would sit to sew all hours of the night to make ends meet. When she passed away, I realized that I couldn’t even sew! Thankfully, my mother-in-law was still with us: she is the one who first taught me how to sew, cut out materials, and check furs. I eventually participated in sewing classes held by Elders at the Inuvik Community Corporation. They taught us how to make hats, mitts, slippers and mukluks. 

One year, in class, we learned how to make an amaruq — a wolf trim sunburst for parkas that my mom used to make for me every year. The Elder who was teaching was a good friend of my mom’s. While I was sewing, she complimented my work and said that it looked like my mother’s. At that time, I was still grieving, so I replied: “But my mom didn’t teach me!” The Elder said: “Peggy, we’re so sorry for your loss, but your mom’s teachings are still in you. You might not have picked up the needle and thread, but how many hours did you watch her sew?We see that your work is just like her’s!” This was a big moment in my healing journey. 

Every time I sit and sew, I feel closer to my mom and mother-in-law.  But I am also greatly inspired by Brian Rogers, known as Nungki. I’m so blessed to work alongside him often. He has so much knowledge about sewing and the history of our Inuvialuit ancestry. He really fans the fire inside of me to keep going, to keep bringing my artwork to life.

I create art because it’s meditation to me. I can sit for hours and hours and hours! It’s my time to reflect, to remember where I came from, to be proud of who we are and of what we do as Inuvialuit artists. This practice is soothing to my soul. It has helped me grieve my mother, as much as it strengthened my bond with my mother-in-law. It’s hard work and it takes patience, but I am always happy to see the end product!