Speeches by Theresie
Carving Industry: Opportunities for Nunavut Artists
©
Theresie Tungilik
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
Nunavut Arts & Crafts Meeting
Cape Dorset, Nunavut
October 19-21, 1998
Carving in the communities has taken a plunge in marketing. Though there are many signs that we have very good artists in our communities, the marketing of product is at an unacceptable low rate.
Why is that, why is Inuit carving and other Inuit products not selling well? Perhaps this is a call for change. Change in production, marketing and promotion of Inuit carvings and art.
I know that it will probably not be accepted immediately, but when we have a failing market of Inuit carvings, we can not just sit back and let it slide all the way down. We have to come up with new ways of marketing and promoting strategies.
We realize that carvers and other Inuit artists are suffering from lack of good marketing skills. This alone says that we should develop new promoting and marketing strategies that would leave the carvers and artist to produce, leaving the marketing and promoting to those who are qualified to do so.
For so long we have been complaining about our poor marketing system, lack of carving supplies and tools. There are well known carvers in the Kivalliq region. They usually take requests from collectors. The emerging carvers are the ones that need our help more so than those who are already established.
The Rankin Inlet carving association called, Ullimaqtiit have also expressed their concern. They say that even when Rankin Inlet is the gateway to the Kivalliq region, to the east, west and south, they do not have any place to bring their work to. For those who have to sell door to door, it is discouraging.
In 1989, the Rankin Inlet Inuit Art Society made a proposal to the Government of the Northwest Territories to open and arts and crafts centre for the people of Rankin Inlet and the Kivalliq region.
After a year and a half later, the arts and crafts centre was built and it has been run by the development corporation ever since. It is far from what we thought it would be used for. You do not see Inuit designed parkas, jackets wind pants or amautis, made for all seasons.
Ivalu is a type of a place that was asked for by the community of Rankin Inlet, but is not operated be the people of Rankin Inlet. We had dreams of making Inuit clothing, traditional and non-traditional. We dreamt about having a place for carvers to bring in and sell their work. Our market target was the visitors, local and people passing through Rankin Inlet. We wanted to sell competitively against any other production company.
We asked for a tannery and it was given to another community. We wanted to use the tannery so we would be able to buy fur straight from our hunters and trappers. Tan the furs and use the furs on the product that would be produced at the arts and crafts centre. We also wanted to be able to sell just pelts, knowing there are so many qualified seamstresses in our community and in other surrounding communities.
Since the tannery has been installed in another community, it has been open for business only seasonally and is closed most of the time.
When the Territorial Government took our ideas and did not carry out the rest of our plans, there really is a no feeling of ownership of the centre whatsoever. They have local hire, but the designs are not coming from the community, so therefore we feel we have been used.
We had asked for an unheated part of the building so skins would be cleaned, tanned and used. Traditionally softened for hunting gear and modern tannery for fashion for in town and city wear.
The Territorial Government completely left that part out. To them it was of no importance. To us it was very important as so many Inuit women who
really wanted to make a comeback of traditional clothing were ready to teach the skills and sell their products both locally and wherever else the demand was coming from.
The people of Rankin Inlet would like to take ownership of the arts and crafts centre. We are capable and we asked for the centre in the first place knowing very well what can sell in the north or any other place.
With Nunavut coming so close, I want to get ready for the community to take over the arts and crafts centre. We see so much home made outerwear in the eastern arctic, we want a production centre that will justify the needs of the communities.
The enthusiasm is there, we just need a chance to prove we can really do it. Look at the seamstresses like Rhoda Karetak, Mary Eecherk, Lizzie Ittinuar, Rene Kusugak, just to name a few, and there is more across the Kivalliq Region and Nunavut too.
The next step the new Nunavut government can do to help us, is the transfer of the arts and crafts centre to the community of Rankin Inlet. This will be a giant step for the Kivalliq Region, Government of the NWT and Nunavut. It can certainly be seen as community empowerment.
This will allow carvers to have a place to bring their work to. Do not under estimate Inuit community empowerment though. We will be looking for quality work and quantity control. We will not be sympathetic just because the artists are of the same race.
In the past when Inuit were being taught how to make things, they were taught to do quality work. This is still our standard. We have not demoted our standard just to have massive quantity of work.
Carvings
Our main reason for wanting changes in the carving industry is to find ways that will elevate the quality and recognition of being unique. I will never promote mass production of Inuit carvings. This kills the uniqueness and therefore will lower the value.
We have to find ways that will allow carvers to produce so the consumer wants to buy. We have to look for better ways that will keep the consumer wanting more. How can we do this?
Perhaps, now is a really good time to look at the carving at the state it is. Why they not selling well? Does it all have to do with economy, or have we produced too much of the same kind? Perhaps we have produced too much of the same kind. Is it time to look at how we can handle promoting? Is it time to look at how we handle marketing?
Yes, it is time for a change. Who do you think would have and easier sale? An Inuk who is knowledgeable of his/her own culture, or someone from the south who has studied the Inuit for six months to two years?
Inuit need training in the promoting and marketing aspect of Inuit carvings without having to move down south after they are trained. This is an opportune time to ask for such program and funding. We look forward to co-operating with the governments to accomplish this task.. Understand us, we know we can do it.
Thank you.
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