Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Jun 22/98) - He wanted to hold a training session for Inuit carvers where they could hone their artistic skills while building up their levels of self-esteem at the same time.

Kirt Eegeesiak and Fedos Panayi shared the same vision and had a way to access $50,000 to pull it off.

They opened a company called Nunavut Training and hired Jaw to instruct the Sananguarvik Program -- a six-week carving program with funds from the Kakivak Association, a part of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

"I've been sort of working on it, I would say for a year. I first planned to create this program with two students from each community in the Baffin area but I got turned down," says Jaw, who then turned to the new company and to Iqaluit-based carvers.

Although Jaw has never taught carving, he is an internationally recognized artist. He says the establishment of a school for carvers has never been necessary because carvers generally learn by watching others at work. He adds this course is the first of a series of carving programs he plans to deliver.

He begins each morning of the program with a group meeting and the 10 adult male participants discuss their self-confidence.

"I teach the students to become more resourceful in their communities and when we hold the meetings, it means that we have to be able to help ourselves first before we can help others."

At first, the meetings were pretty quiet but Jaw says towards the end of the first week, his students were opening up and discussing their lives.

"Everyone had something to share and that was good for me to hear," he says.

Several of the students had also completed their first carving by the end of the week and were ready to begin their second. Jaw says he'll base his assessments and constructive criticisms on the first carving and that he'll know the direction his instruction with each student must take.

"I'll be seeing what sort of improvement everyone needs by giving them free choice on their first carving and then determining what sort of improvements the carver needs to work on."

Jaw says that much of his desire for teaching the course stems from wanting to see carvers produce more detailed work and from a need to keep his culture alive.

"I took the students down to the museum to see their ancestor's tools so they'll be able to create and see what they can show their children in their work."

Participant Nowdla Aqpik says he's noticed a great deal of change in the tools since he first watched his own father carve.

"It's more convenient to use these tools and there are more ways to use them," says Aqpik who is taking the course primarily to develop his talent.

Noah Nakashook's reasons are based more on the need of obtaining employable skills.

"I want to learn more how to make carvings. I sell a few but not too many. I'm unemployed and I have to make some money to buy food for my kids and pay some bills," says Nakashook.

Some of the artists are enrolled for the marketing aspect of Sananguarvik.

"I always wanted to get into a course like this, with recognition at the end of the course and I always wanted to get into marketing my own carvings," says Manasie Ikalukjuak.

Course organizer Fedos Panayi says the marketing component is central to the whole program.

"Our aim is firstly to improve people's carving skills and secondly to explore new ways which they can market their work and get to the market through Iqaluit and doing that through the Internet," says Panayi.

He knows his goals are ambitious for such a short period of time, but Panayi says that he and Eegeesiak are providing a service that is very much in demand.

"It illustrates the way in which Nunavut training works. Kirt and I are looking for individuals that have expertise and match them up with the training needs of the community."

"We believe that employers are interested in paying for their employees to seek training and we also believe the Nunavut community at large is interested in investing in people."

The course wraps up on July 17, and will be followed by an art show where all of the completed carvings will be on sale.