Anne-Marie Jennings
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 11/98) - Traditional clothing and the preservation of a way of life are among the goals of a new program which will bring Inuit clothing makers to the forefront of fashion.

Pauktuutit, Canada's Inuit Women's Association, is preparing for its first nine-month training project to teach interested men and women the skills and techniques involved in traditional clothing.

Eva Adams, national co-ordinator for clothing with Pauktuutit, said the program has been an idea of the organization since 1984.

Participants will learn a number of different techniques, including the proper method of skinning a seal, fleshing the skin, drying the skin, and preparing the skin to use in clothing. Sewing, beading, and other traditional skills will also be taught.

The program will take place in three Northern communities renowned for their traditional clothing. Students will spend time in Broughton Island, Kugluktuk, and Baker Lake, during their studies, and will learn the sewing and preparation techniques from elders within the communities.

"While we have developed a curriculum for the program, there could still be changes made," Adams explained. "We are going to rely upon the input from the participants and the teachers to help structure the program."

Participants will also spend a portion of the program in Ottawa, learning more about the cultural and ethnic history through research.

"They will be able to visit museums as well as the library at the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development to research traditional clothing styles through historical records," Adams said.

Ten participants will be enrolled in the program, which will select its candidates from the North's regions as established by Pauktuutit. Participants will come from the Western Arctic, the Kitikmeot, Keewatin, north and south Baffin, north and south Nunavik, and Labrador. The 10th participant will come from Ottawa.

While clothing design and fashion is the primary focus of the project, Adams said there is much more to the project than teaching traditional sewing methods.

"The participants will learn small business techniques, bookkeeping, quality control practices, intellectual property rules, and a number of other skills through the program," Adams said.

"We also want them to come to appreciate the historical value of traditional clothing."

Adams is quick to stress that the program is an intense one, and that all participants must be genuinely interested in learning and working hard. She said there will be no opportunities for participants to drop out during the program.

The program is scheduled to begin in Broughton Island on June 1. The completion of the project is expected to finish with a fashion show during celebrations for the creation of Nunavut.

For those who may be interested in participating in the program, they should contact Pauktuutit in Ottawa by May 15.