OPINION | It's disrespectful for non-Indigenous artists to make a profit off our designs

A recent CBC article looked at a debate in Inuvik, N.W.T.,over non-Indigenous artists selling traditional-style crafts at local markets. It sparked a large discussion online, including this social media post by Myrna Pokiak, an Inuvialuit woman fromTuktoyaktuknow living in Yellowknife. It has been edited for clarity and length.

Some will agree, some will disagree, some will be angry, others will learn, but this has been keeping me awake at night and giving me flashbacks to a very difficult time in my artistic journey.

Until theft of your art form happens to you, it cannot be understood. It's personal. We share our culture to show our pride, not intending for those we teach to profit off the gifts we give.

When the woman in Inuvik said she wasn't copying anyone and she draws her own designs, those words stung. Clearly she does not know enough about our culture or respect the gifts she received she's profiting and going against the unspoken history of our culture.

I hope this 'artist'will realize the unspoken gifts she was taught should respectfully not be sold for profit.

I had my own words stolen from me by a recognized northern author more than 15 years ago.

Iwrote about a polar bear harvest with my dad and shared my story to give the author an ideaof what the Arctic is like.I was curious what his opinion would be of my writing and thought if heliked my stories, maybe I had a chance to be an author.

About a year later his book was done, so I bought it. I started reading it and hadn't even gottenpast the first chapter before I could feel the tears starting to build up in my eyes. Soon, mymouth began to get dry, barely able to speak, trembling with sadness then anger.

Then, Istarted to cry as I read passages that were identical to my words. I could see my writing andflashbacks to my experiences in his fictional story: descriptions of the way my family cooks,travels, camps on a hunt, prepares meals, images of the ice formations described from my owneyes. My name, for that matter,used in the story.

I was so appalled and angry I put the book down. To this day, I still wonder, when I do get mystory published, will people think I stole that author's words because they're in his publishedbook? It's my conscience that is bothered, not his.

Unspoken gifts

There are so many stories, family designs, clothing, and art never shared with the public in fearthat so quickly our history, our traditions will be stolen. I can only imagine that other artists donot set up tables at markets for that reason.

My mom married into an Inuvialuit family, living in the North for well over 40 years. Thanks to somany Inuvialuit seamstresses who shared their patterns, she was able to learn to sew us theclothing we needed, and teach us what she was taught.

I asked her growing up why she didn't sell the clothing she made.

Gifts do not give you permission to make a profit.

She would tell me in few words "out of respect,"as she was grateful she was taught by some ofthe best. All she wanted was to be able to sew for her children and make sure we were taughtour ancestors' traditions and patterns.

She knew those who taught her shared their knowledge so she could provide for our family thenecessities of life as a trapper, mother and wife living a subsistence lifestyle. There are manymore women and men who made the North their home and were taught cultural teachings andrespected the unspoken lessons of those gifts they received.

Those who listen with more than their ears can understand;it is often not always what is said,but what is not said that we must pay attention to.

To the non-Indigenous woman who was selling traditional Inuvialuit crafts in Inuvik, saying it's"out of love,"I hope this "artist"will realize the unspoken gifts she was taught should respectfullynot be sold for profit, as she is selling a gift that was given to her out of kindness and generosityof our cultural teachings. Selling is disrespectful.

Listen with more than your ears gifts do not give you permission to make a profit.Earn backrespect and stop selling reproduced Indigenous art.

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