Brothers return to winterlude
Kevin Welson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Feb 05/01) - Three renowned artisan brothers will again represent the NWT at a national competition in Ottawa this week.
Last year, Eli, Joe and Bill Nasogaluak won the Artist's Choice Award and placed second overall at the Canada Snow Sculpture competition held during the annual Winterlude festival.
During a free moment away from their studio in Yellowknife, Bill, who captained the team last year, hastily scribbles the team's design on paper while Eli looks on. Brother Joe lives in Tuktoyaktuk.
Their planned sculpture, Unity Among Diversity, consists of an upper and a lower segment. Eli, who leads the team this year, explains the symbolism of the sculpture.
The top piece depicts three pairs of people, representing the Inuit, Dene, and non-native peoples, he says.
"The overall shape of the top section will take the form of a diamond," said Eli, adding it will represent the promise of NWT's recent entry into the world of precious stones.
The three couples support a stylized snowflake that represents the arctic. The three couples supporting the arctic snowflake conveys "a message of unity. Being united conveys strength," says Eli
Bill says the process of turning a snow block five metres high with a four metre by four metre base in 33 hours is "brutally physically demanding."
"It's 80 per cent sheer labour. The other 20 per cent consists of artistic creativity."
This effort is compounded by the fact that teams are only allowed one power tool to shape the snow.
"You forget the limits of your body," until you're nearly finished, adds Eli. "Then, you realize you're hurting."
Adding to the challenge, the brothers will be carving an ice sculpture in front of their hotel in Ottawa shortly after they arrive and shortly before they start competing.
Speaking on the phone from Tuktoyaktuk, Joe says he is worried that warm temperatures could cause problems for their sculpture.
"The only thing I worry about is the weather," he says. He likens snow carving to working in soft stone, while he prefers to work in harder materials. Nevertheless, he feels that the team is up to the task.
"We're the ones that live in the snow, and we've got to prove it," he laughs.
The Nunavut team will be profiled in a future edition.
