LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
"When you look at (a situation), you don't just look at what you need to do - you look at the whole, at everyone who is involved."

Longtime Fort Simpson resident Martina Norwegian was named the Deh Cho winner for the Status of Women Council's Wise Women award. - April Hudson/NNSL photo

That is how lifelong Fort Simpson resident Martina Norwegian makes her way through life.

Now, standing on the shoulders of the women in her life who have supported her over the years, Martina has been named the Deh Cho winner for the Wise Women Award, given out by the Status of Women Council.

The daughter of Sarah and Leo Norwegian, Martina's worldview was shaped by a mother and grandmother who put food on the table through money from their handicrafts, and by a father who taught her to learn the hard lessons first before moving on to the easy ones - teachings she says applied to both learning to drive stick shift and life in general.

Over the years in Fort Simpson, Martina has been involved in the District Education Authority, religion and arts and crafts. She now works for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

She has raised two children to adulthood, been heavily involved in the Catholic church and currently helms the Fort Simpson Historical Society.

Although she has been an award nominee in the past, Martina said being named a recipient is an immense honour.

"I went on the Status of Women Council's website, and I saw all the women who have received it before me ... To be able to be put into that category of women, and to be honoured as one of them, it's just amazing," she said.

Some of the women who paved the way with the Wise Women Award include Fort Providence's Margaret Thom, Margaret Vandell, Martina's aunt Mary Louise Norwegian and her mentor, Terry Villeneuve, whom she credits for getting her more involved with the church. It was Villeneuve, relaying to her Jesus' words in the Bible about those without sin throwing the first stone, that eventually convinced her to work within the church.

"I stand on that (scripture)," she said.

Martina recalls the first time she ever gave a sermon in church - knees shaking, mouth dry, it was a small nod from Villeneuve that saw her through.

"I looked up and everyone was standing there looking at me," she recalls.

"I looked at (Villeneuve), and all she did was a small nod and everything came flooding back. It went without a hitch."

Spirituality, history and family are all tied together in Martina's recipe for inner peace.

"To know who you are - as your spiritual self, your history - (gives) peace within," she said. "For me, peace also comes because I have two young adults. As long as they're OK, I'm OK."

And as for history, 25 years with the Fort Simpson Historical Society has taught her to appreciate the people in the community who come and go, and to treasure the gift of time she is given with the village's transient population.

"Our teachers, our RCMP, they pack up their treasures and they come across the country to us. And they give us their gift of time and knowledge - and then they have to leave," she said. "It's so easy to want more, but we forget what we have."

Martina will be in Yellowknife March 8 for the Status of Women Council's Bread and Roses dinner, put together to honour winners of the Wise Women award.