Sabourin's sculpture depicts Mother Earth, the eagle, the Northern Lights and the north wind.

Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 04/05) - For many hours over six weeks, Slavey artist John Sabourin has knelt next to a 1.5 tonne granite boulder at the Frozen Rock studio in Yellowknife.

"The first cut was exciting," he said.

After many more cuts and lots of sanding, Sabourin has transformed the granite into a detailed monument honouring Northern women.

"The woman doesn't seem to get enough recognition in the North," Sabourin said. "The woman in this carving reminds me of Mother Earth and that everything is part of nature."

The carving depicts a woman's face hanging in the sky. She is guided by the eagle spirit while the Northern Lights and the north wind roll across the forested landscape below.

The NWT French Federation commissioned the piece. On the opposite side, Sabourin carved a relief of a pelt changing hands between a Dene trapper and a French trader.

The sculpture will be installed in front of McEvoy Rock in Yellowknife.

Sabourin, who has lived in Yellowknife for two years, presented soapstone carving workshops during the Open Sky Festival in his home town of Fort Simpson on the weekend.