Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Friday, November 9, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - It hasn't been an easy year for the owners of Bows & Arrows, but as Lila Erasmus said, it was successful overall.

"We've had our one-year anniversary, so that's something," she said.

Marion MacKeinzo, Lila Erasmus, Ruth Mercredi and Della Green stand inside Bows & Arrows with Lila's little one, Phoenix "the boss" Erasmus. Bows & Arrows recently celebrated its first anniversary. - Laura Power/NNSL photo

She and her husband Roy Erasmus Jr., along with Norma French-Heslep, opened the business on Nov. 4, 2006. Their original intent was to offer and promote aboriginal and First Nations products.

"A lot of times we don't necessarily see the very rich and deep parts of the aboriginal, First Nations cultures," said Erasmus, adding she "wanted to show there's a very spiritual and deep side of the culture, and this is what we wanted to express with the store."

The store sells a lot of handmade jewelry, clothing and crafts, many of which are shipped in from artists in communities around the NWT. The staff enjoyed a Christmas rush of interested shoppers last year, but had a quiet January and struggled financially for a while.

"I found it very difficult, and it's nice that Christmas is coming again because it always gives us a little boost," said Erasmus, who said the store has now been trying to promote itself to tourists.

It was also the workshops, which began happening regularly in September, that helped business pick up at Bows & Arrows. Such workshops, led by Marion MacKeinzo, gave people an opportunity to learn how to make a variety of traditional crafts.

"It was a little bit slow in the beginning, but word is getting out there now so it's nice and we're getting more and more people in," said Erasmus.

So when it came time to throw a birthday bash for the business last week, the week-long celebration ended up including a series of workshops where people made rosary bags, earrings, necklaces and medicine wheels.

Another new feature which has proved to be popular is the Friday luncheons, at which a different elder is honoured. For example, this Friday will feature Wambdi Wakita, a Dakota elder who works a lot with healing.

So looking back at the first year, Erasmus said she is happy with the progress. But it doesn't stop there - there are plans in place for year two that involve making the store more coordinated with the workshops. She said the store's aim is to carry all the materials people will need to work with.

And there's one aspect of the store that's business as usual.

"You can't beat the staff. We have wonderful staff," she said of Della Green and Ruth Mercredi. "Anytime that they come in, people are always welcomed."

Bows & Arrows' next workshop starts tomorrow at 1 p.m. Participants will learn how to make ribbon shirts during three Saturday workshops.