Elder hands down her sewing skills
Program teaches women to make kamiit
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Monday, December 7, 2015
MITTIMATALIK/POND INLET
Keeping traditional skills alive is part of mental health and wellness in Pond Inlet, where a group of women joined to learn from a respected elder about how to make kamiit.
Elder Rhoda Arnakallak, right, shows a participant how to trace a pattern on the sealskin. Arnakallak is well-versed in the
practice and taught her skills to Pond Inlet community members.
photos courtesy of the Seltzer-Chan Pond Inlet Foundation - |
"It's important because only the elders know how to sew kamiit," said Stephanie Pitseolak, a mental health outreach worker in the community who organized a summer program to make kamiit, which are sealskin boots.
"Only a few adults or teenagers or young generations know, so we want to get adults to learn how to make kamiit before we have no more elders, and while they have a teacher that's really good at making kamiit."
That teacher was Rhoda Arnakallak, a respected elder in the community.
"She's an elder now and whenever she goes to the health centre she's always asked if they can make the nurses kamiit," said Pitseolak. "She's really good at sewing kamiit, so people go to her all the time to ask to make kamiit."
Pitseolak received a grant from the Seltzer-Chan Pond Inlet Foundation to fund the women's group, which had 10 participants in the summer and was so successful is running again now.
"It was to get away from home, kids and go out to sew kamiit," she said about the eight-week program.
It was a relaxing, educational time for the women.
"It was to help ease the mind," said Pitseolak. "The ladies talked about life or struggles. That helped them understand more of each other, that they're not alone."
Pitseolak made her sister and son kamiit, and the other ladies also made them for family members.
The project helped local hunters, as the sealskin supplies were sourced locally.
"I encourage people to learn how to make kamiit so that they can keep the culture strong and know how to make them so that we don't lose that," said Pitseolak.
