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Tuesday July 28 2015 9 By DALI CARMICHAEL Visitors to the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre PWNHCR were delighted to learn from Fort Smith elder Jane Dragon last week as she shared stories from the bush while allowing onlookers to examine her historical collection of furs. On July 21 and 22 Dragon represented Fort Smith as the museums traditional art- ist in residence an undertaking intended to match relevant cultural interpretation with the facilitys current exhibits and programs. Were trying to program a breadth of art with this initiative representing a variety of cultural groups and regions said Mike Mitchell the museums curator of education and public programs. Jane was approached because the art of storytelling is quintes- sentially traditional and because her repu- tation precedes her. In fact she was speci- cally requested by a couple of colleagues in the department of Education Culture and Employment whod worked with her and thought shed be a great t for our program. Shes a natural educator approachable un- assuming and willing to share a lifetime of stories and anecdotes. Last year Dragon completed her collec- tion of furs from animals across the NWT with the nal addition of a tiny taxider- mied mouse. Her soft treasures were spread around eight tables set up in the centres au- ditorium while she shared stories from life on the land with about 100 people in atten- dance over the two days. Much of the knowledge Jane shared came fromherexperiencesonthetraplinesthatshe and her husband maintained for many years and other traditional activities Mitchell said. She explained that it was crucial for hunters to only kill what they needed she mentioned that on several occasions she had seen several moose over the course of a win- ter but had ignored them as she already had the meat that was required to get her family through the colder months. For Dragon keeping that connection to the land is of utmost importance a value she tries to pass onto other generations. As she spent much of her life raising and teaching important skills to her children she had many stories about her experiences on the land with them Mitchell said. Bean- bag style balls made of moosehide would be lled with grains such as rice and barley that way if there was ever a complete lack of food while travelling in the bush they would have a fall-back source to keep them going a little longer. For those two days Dragon captivated her audiences with her tales from the bush. One couple who were visiting from Med- icine Hat spent over an hour sitting with Jane and declared it was a highlight of their visit Mitchell noted a common reaction from those who get to spend quality time with Dragon. Following her residency Dragon travelled to Blachford Lake Lodge where she con- tinued sharing her stories and lessons with young girls attending the FOXY Peer Retreat. The next traditional artist in residency will be Mtis artist Ria Coleman another Fort Smith resident who will be at the cen- tre on July 27 and 28. Fort Smith elder shares extensive fur collection at Prince of Wales ARTS CULTURE TRADITIONAL ARTS PhotoReneOReillyPWNHC By DALI CARMICHAEL I think that my participation at the festi- val is long overdue said Abraham Ruben the featured special guest artist at this years Great Northern Arts Festival GNAF. Over 40 artists conducting twice as many workshops attended the events 27th anniversary which ran from July 17 to July 26. Im quite excited about being up there Ruben said on his way up to Inuvik. I havent been to the Great Northern Arts Festival since 2005 and I was there not as a par- ticipant but as an observer. Throughout GNAF Ruben used the plat- form to host stone sculpting workshops and lectures with artists from all mediums. Ive done my time on the road Ruben said. I feel that in the last decade Ive ma- tured as an artist and its now time for me to start giving back. Im looking at what the situation is in the Western Arctic as it ap- plies to the rest of Canada from an artists perspective. We have a lot of holes that need to be lled and the biggest thing is to educate and encourage young up and coming artists to broaden their horizons rather than cater- ing to the tourist industry with small scale carvings to try and broaden their outlook on what it takes to become an artist. For years Ruben has conducted traveling sessions in the small remote communities of the NWT inviting developing artists to NWT artistry on display at Great Northern Arts Festival Prominent carver Abraham Ruben returns to the North as featured artist work under his tutelage in his Salt Spring Island studio in B.C. Since 2004 his art has focused on the pe- riod of time when Norse and Inuit peoples rst made contact dating back to at least 1000 A.D. His personal experiences with that project provided some of the content for his presentations to the GNAF crowd. His seminars dealt with the creative as- pect of art the use of myths legends sto- ries and personal experiences in creating the work he said. Theres another component to it which deals with marketing an indi- viduals work and the process of selecting or working with a gallery or an institution to prepare the artist for exhibitions and ex- posure in the south. Rubenisatrueveteranoftheindustrywith about four decades of experience under his belt. The Northern artist was born in Pau- latuk and found his passion for ne arts as a young man while attempting to connect with his Inuit heritage. He attended the festival with his wife and fellow artist Patricia Donnelly who ran work- shops on transforming qiviut from muskox hides into wool. In addition to the workshops and art deal- ings GNAF also hosted performers games and even a fashion show. One highlight included the Tuktoyaktuk Siglit Drummers and Dancers a group of young Inuvialuit men between the ages of nine and 19 who recently performed at the Pan American Games for the Aboriginal Pa- vilions opening ceremonies. ARTS CULTURE FESTIVALS PhotoscourtesyofGreatNorthernArtsFestival Celebrated sculptor Abraham Ruben was this years featured special guest artist at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik. Well-known Sahtu painter Antoine Mountain works on a new piece during the festival. Fort Smith elder Jane Dragon shares stories and her collection of furs with visitors to the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife where she was the traditional artist in residence last week.