Yukon carver pulls out of prestigious Indigenous art market over U.S. border crossing concerns

Dennis Shorty, an artist from Ross River, Yukon, said he chose to forego his chance to promote his art at a "world-class" venue after hearing about an Ontario small business owner who got detained at the Canada-U.S. border because of her yarn.

'I feel let down,' says Ross River artist Dennis Shorty

Priscilla Ki Sun Hwang CBC News Posted: Jul 01, 2018 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 1, 2018

Dennis Shorty, left, and Jennifer Frhling decided to cancel their trip to the Santa Fe Indian Market in August after hearing about a small business owner who got detained at the U.S. border. (Fritz Miller Photography)

An Indigenous carver from Ross River, Yukon, has pulled out ofone of the world's largest and longest-standing Indigenous art markets, overfears of crossing the U.S. border with his artwork, which ismade of animal antlers and fur.

Dennis Shorty said he chose to forego thechance to promote his art internationallyafter hearing about a small business owner from Ontario who wasrecently detained by U.S. border guardswhile tryingto attend a festival because of paperwork confusions with her yarn.

'It's a ball of yarn': Small business owner detained at border amid border and visa confusion

It's kind of scary.- Jennifer Frhling, wife and project manager for Dennis Shorty

"I feel let down," said Dennis Shorty, about cancelling his trip.

Shorty isa Kaska Dena First Nations artistwho's been carving for about 50 years.He was planning on taking $20,000 worth of his artwork made of animal products to the market.

It has beenseemingly more difficult for some individualsand businessesto cross the Canada-U.S.border, due to President Donald Trump's new policies like his 2017 executive order on"Buy American and Hire American", histravel ban, and withadded tension due totheU.S-Canada trade dispute.

"The political side all the trade wars going on even the little people like us, we feel it. It's sad," said Shorty.

Jennifer Frhling, Shorty's project manager andhis wife, describes the Santa Fe Indian Market as "world class." 2018 will be the market's 97th year running andit's expected to attractmore than 120,000 people over Aug.18 to 19 this year.

Shorty, left, said he felt 'let down' after cancelling his trip amid a tense political relationship between U.S. and Canada. 'Little people like us, we feel it,' he said. (Archbould Photography)

The market is known for its rigid selection process about 1,300 artists appliedfor the limited 668 booths, leaving hundreds of artists on waitlists, according to the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts that's running the market.

Frhling said she applied for Shorty last year, and he was accepted in March.

"It's a very big deal," said Frhling. "[The art] has to be high-end, all original, no plastic beads, and everything really one of a kind."

"It's a competitive show," explainedthe association's marketing director Amanda Crocker. "It is very prestigious. It's a career-starting show for a lot of artists."

We're foreign, eh. Even though we're on the same continent, we're foreign.- Dennis Shorty, Yukon artist

Crockersaid she wasn't aware of Shorty's concerns about crossing the border, but said she was disappointed with his cancellation.

"We were sorry to hear it because his work is phenomenal," she said, addingthe market only gets a handful ofartists from Canada each year.

This year, there are about 10 Canadian artists participating.

Crocker said to date,she hasn't heard of any artists having difficulty crossing the U.S. border for the market.

Paperwork woes

After being accepted, Shorty said he had a pile of paperwork to handle in order to enter the U.S. atax ID number applicationwith the state ofNew Mexico, a special events licence with the city of Santa Fe, a business visa with U.S. customs,andspecial arrangements to import commercial goods worth more than $2,500,among others.

A moose antler carving with polar bear hair, created by Shorty. (Submitted by Jennifer Frhling)

Frhling, who travels with Shorty, said she spent about four days straight dealing with only a portion of the paperwork.

But once they saw the news about the Ontario woman's$11,775worth of yarn being turned away, the two had a change of heart.

"It's kind of scary and it's notencouraging to [complete] all that paperwork and the time, and the money ... and then you get to the border and then you get sent back because of bear fur."

Shorty uses materials like moose, caribou and deer antlers, sheep horn, wood and polar bear furto create his pieces.

He had spent close to $500 USDfor the trip to Sante Fe(for booth rental and application fees), but was able to get about half of it back after cancelling in June.

"But rather that, than putting in more cost and then, you know" said Frhling.

They had not yet purchased flights.

CBCcontacted both Global Affairs Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage, askingif there's help for Indigenous artists that may have difficulties crossingthe U.S. border.

The departments wouldn't comment on potential issues for Indigenous artists, but spokespeople pointed CBC to the government's new "creative export strategy,"announced earlier this week, which promises to help artists export their work internationally.

Federal government to invest $125M in domestic art programs, cultural exports

Frhling, right, said she spent about four days straight dealing with only a portion of the paperwork required to travel to the United States for the two-day art market. (Brian Nadue)

Advice for Indigenous artists

Shorty said he has one piece of advice for Indigenous artists wary of crossing the U.S. border to promote their art; "just wait for the change of [president]."

"We're foreign, eh. Even though we're on the same continent, we're foreign," he said.

Frhlingadded, for Indigenous artists who are still willing to take the risk, "it's very tricky ... so be really, really careful. Have your things together and save a lot of headaches."

Shorty and Frhlingare travelling to Yukon'sAdka Cultural Festival in Whitehorse this weekend to promote Shorty's art. Meanwhile, they'll continue to travel to Germany topromotehis work internationally.