RADILIH KOE'/FORT GOOD HOPE
Viviane Edgi-Manuel is connecting the old with the young to create something completely new in her community.

Viviane Edgi-Manuel, right, joins with her sister, Jeannie Snowshoe, at the Department of Education, Culture and Employment's Minister's Culture and Heritage Circle awards ceremony on Oct. 5. Edgi-Manuel received this year's Minister's Choice award for her work to promote employment through traditional arts in Fort Good Hope. - photo courtesy of Viviane Edgi-Manuel

That's why the economic development officer from Fort Good Hope was presented with the Minister's Culture and Heritage Circle Minister's Choice award from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment on Oct. 5, recognizing her dedication to promoting traditional arts.

Part of Edgi-Manuel's job is to find ways for community members to earn a living.

By partnering Fort Good Hope's elders with younger people who want to learn sewing skills, Edgi-Manuel is helping to create a new workforce.

"We have a lot of elders that still sew and we have young people that want to learn, so what I did is I got funding from ITI (the territorial Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment) to get supplies and materials," she said.

Sewers and other traditional craft makers can then purchase the materials at cost.

"I use this funding to order supplies, they buy it back off me for the same price it cost me. We don't make any money," Edgi-Manuel said. "So people are able to get supplies and materials to continue their arts."

Edgi-Manuel helped to establish evening sewing and craft-making classes to encourage more women to learn.

She also started a traditional craft sale in the Fort Good Hope band office where people can sell the items they've made, which she modelled as a sort of farmers' market, she said. Products typically include handmade crafts and food items.

"It's so people can help support each other to create income," she said. "People can create income for themselves and also supply somebody else with what they want."

Many of the items are purchased by individuals from other communities or other parts of Canada who are visiting or working in Fort Good Hope, Edgi-Manuel said.

"We have a lot of people from outside that work here, they're able to buy stuff they can send home," she said. "It helps the artists from here to make income and it also exposes them to people from outside to buy stuff. When these people send stuff home, their family members or friends are interested in possibly ordering from people from here."

While most buyers simply contact the individual who sent them their item if they want to buy more, a Facebook page titled Fort Good Hope Traditional Arts and Crafts is also helping to facilitate sales, Edgi-Manuel said.

"We don't have an arts and crafts shop or anything, I'm hoping in the future the community will consider building or else open a business, but for now we just rely on the Facebook page," she said. "Other than that, it's word of mouth."

Word of mouth is proving effective, she added. The community is quickly gaining a reputation for its unique beadwork.

"Fort Good Hope has that really fine type of beadwork," she said. "I've heard from some people from the outside that we have a different type of beadwork than other communities."

Without a tracking system, it's impossible to know exactly how much individuals are earning selling their wares, but Edgi-Manuel said she knows the sales are a primary source of income for many in the community.

According to the most recent Nunavut Bureau of Statistics data, the employment rate for aboriginal people in Fort Good Hope was 36 per cent in 2009.

"There are no jobs," Edgi-Manuel said. "Artists, they usually live off what they create."

Her dedication to promoting not only employment, but also arts and culture is the reason why Edgi-Manuel was chosen for this year's award, according to a news release from ECE.

While she appreciates the award, Edgi-Manuel said she was surprised to learn she had been chosen to receive it.

"I was wondering, why did I get chosen?" she said. "I didn't understand how I could be selected for a culture award because I didn't see myself in that category."

While she may not have noticed it herself, others are recognizing Edgi-Manuel's dedication to traditional arts, the press release from ECE stated.

"Vivian Edgi-Manuel's contribution to her community as an economic development officer goes far beyond her job. She encourages artists to promote their talent, assists with proposals for funding, teaches cultural sewing circles, organizes farmers markets and is a role model in her community," the release stated. "Vivian is a member of the NWT Arts Council and promotes the arts in all that she does."

This year's Minister's Culture and Heritage awards ceremony was held at the legislative assembly's Great Hall on Oct. 5.

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