RANKIN INLET - Repulse Bay artists are getting ready for the Kivalliq Inuit Doll Festival and Exhibit in Rankin Inlet later this year.

A group of women has been working on traditional dolls for the past six months in Repulse Bay.

Cecilia Ijjangiaq of Repulse Bay displays her traditional Inuit doll, complete with a beaded amauti. - photo courtesy of Leonie Aissaoui

The group is headed by Susan Nuluk, who got involved with the project after being approached by festival organizer Helen AbenReynen.

Nuluk was able to secure some funding from the Brighter Futures fund and the Repulse Bay group began working on the dolls in July.

While their numbers have dwindled since then, the women who remain are looking forward to the impact their dolls will have at the festival.

"We had enough women for two groups, which we rotated every two weeks until this past December," said Nuluk.

"It's not very much money, so there's only four of us left to make dolls for two weeks in January and March," she said.

"We send the finished dolls to be stored in Rankin until the festival."

Nuluk made dolls to sell to the local Co-op when she was younger.

She said Kivalliq dolls could be popular with collectors if they were properly promoted and readily available.

"People in the south would be interested in owning Inuit dolls dressed in traditional clothing," she said.

"When people see the dolls we're making, they're always impressed with them, so there could be a market for them in the south."

Nuluk hopes to attend the festival in Rankin Inlet, but realizes that may not be possible. Like many things in the North, it will depend on whether there's money available for a plane ticket.

"After being so involved with the project and working so hard, it would be nice to be there," she said.

"I'd like to see how people react to our dolls."

Nuluk said the Repulse women have had fun working together on the dolls.

She said even though they weren't paid much, it has put a few dollars in everyone's pocket.

"I had a lot of interest from younger people, but they couldn't find anyone to look after their kids while they worked on the dolls," she said. "We do have one girl, about 17, who's been in our group since Christmas, so that's been nice to see."