Pond Inlet women share their skills
Collective seeks to teach and preserve knowledge of sealskin
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Saturday, July 8, 2017
MITTIMATALIK/POND INLET
Since January 2015 Sheila Katsak has been the research coordinator in Pond Inlet for the Mittimatalik Arnait Miqsuqtuit Collective which brings elders before a camera and records their knowledge.
Research coordinator of the Mittimatalikmiut Arnait Miqsuqtut Collective Sheila Katsak discusses a few fine point of the sealskin project with Sarahme Akoomalik and Regilee Ootova. - photo courtesy Mittimatalikmiut Arnait Miqsuqtut Collective
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Katsak, who also serves as videographer, says the first video recordings were made in February 2015, featuring the first three of many elders Ruth Sangoya, Paomee Komangapik and Koopa Kippomee.
"Those three we collaborated with and captured what they knew about sewing and preparing seal skin," said Katsak. "All seamstresses were knowledgeable, and generous in terms of sharing what they know."
Katsak said it all started when Nancy Wachowich contacted her to see what they could do.
Wachowich is one of eight researchers at York University's Mobilizing Inuit Cultural Heritage (MICH) a multi-media/multi-platform project which "focuses on the contribution of Inuit visual culture, art, and performance to Inuit language preservation, social well-being, and cultural identity," according to the website.
Each of the projects in partnership with MICH is funded by a six-year grant from the Government of Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Other projects are Te(a)ch with Pangnirtung-based Pinnguaq and Qaggiavuut's performance artist training project.
Further recording sessions took place in 2016 and started again at the end of last month, and will run into July. Each session sees more women getting involved. Year two saw Jane Singorie, Georgina Pewatoaluk, Louisa Amagoalik, Mary Amagoalik, Sheena Kasarnak, Regilee Ootova and Sarahme Akoomalik on camera. Qamaniq Sangoya, Rhoda Koonoo, Mary Mucpa and Regilee Ootova joined this year, while Skylar Katsak, Amy Kippomee and Sarahme Akoomalik served as production assistants.
There are master classes on all the ways of preparing sealskin, the various types of sealskin, and different types of stitches.
"Jane has a set of classes where she sewed a pair of kamiik. Georgina, Louisa and Sheena, they shared their knowledge of how to make crafts out of sealskin. Mary Amagoalik showed us how to prepare sealskin," said Katsak.
In October 2016, Ootova, Akoomalik and Katsak went to St John's, Nfdl. for an Inuit studies conference to showcase the collective's work.
"That's when I started collaborating most with Regilee and Sarahme, on how to get these out there on the Web," said Katsak.
There are now 74 master-class videos on Vimeo, a video-sharing platform - some are five to 10 minutes, while other are longer and uninterrupted. Mittimatalik Arnait Miqsuqtuit Collective also has an active Facebook page.
"This last phase, language and terminology of sewing, sealskin and clothing will be added once editing is done sometime after Christmas," said Katsak, who adds the experience of collaborating on the project has been gratifying.
"I'm very lucky to have been with the collective and collaborating with the seamstresses. I'm grateful to be able to see them sharing their knowledge first hand," she said.
"The most memorable thing I remember is when I learned to differentiate stitches and what stitch produces what result. I myself practice sewing, but not as much I'd like."
Katsak says the collective is not only about teaching about sewing but also about conserving history, so all the raw footage will be archived.
"We're trying to find a way to make those accessible to the people of Pond Inlet."
