Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Apr 02/99) - Elder Martha Harry, 81, never imagined when she was growing up at camps in the Mackenzie Delta that one day she would be on a Canadian postage stamp.

But that unexpected scenario has come to be with the issue of 13 new scenic highway stamps which represent each province and territory.

Harry's face was chosen from hundreds of photos taken last summer to represent the regional culture section of the stamp.

The 46-cent stamp is set to have a landscape photo, a photo of a road sign and the photo to represent regional culture.

"Cultural photos could have been canoeing or rock climbing or other activities and there could have been young people in the photo but Martha was chosen because it was felt she was a village elder and her face would be appropriate," says Canada Post media relations manager Elia Anoia.

Anoia says the photo shows Harry performing a drum dance and it can be viewed on-line at www.canadapost.ca after selecting "what's new" and then going in to the March news release section.

"I was very happy when I found out I was going to be on a stamp," Harry says.

"It is like I'm dreaming."

Harry grew up about 60 kilometres west of Inuvik at traditional camps. At 18 years old, she met George Harry and the two had 12 children, though three were stillborn.

Five of their children -- Leonard, Lilian Elias, Valerie Steffanson, Susan Peffer and Harold Harry -- are still alive.

When the government was clearing a site for Inuvik in the mid-1950s, the Harrys moved here and George found work.

While George worked for the government in public works, Martha spent much time at home raising the family. She also worked for some time as a matron with the RCMP.

There, she watched people in cells and would let police know if there were any problems.

She has also been active with Anglican church women's groups and often made mukluks and other clothing that she sold to students.

Together with George, who died last summer, Martha was instrumental in helping a group of people now known as the Inuvik and Aklavik drummers and dancers rediscover some traditional dance steps and songs as well as the meaning behind them.