Chapman’s Gas Bar Christmas Craft Sale draws wide range of artists and craftspeople
By Rick Garrick
FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION—West Coast cedar masks were among the arts and crafts available at the Chapman’s Gas Bar Christmas Craft Sale in Fort William First Nation.
“I’ve got a portrait mask that can be worn with the white hair,” says George Price, a Coast Salish wood carver from Stó:lō Nation in B.C. who is married to an Anishinaabe woman from the Thunder Bay area. “And I have a raven transformation, which is called Raven’s Journey. It is carved out of an about 600-year-old red cedar tree. It represents the journey that Raven is on to find a wife. Once it transforms, there is a canoe inside, and everything Raven needs to find a wife is in his canoe.”
Price, who began carving about 40 years ago, plans to build a birch bark canoe this upcoming year.
“I got enough birch bark last August to build a birch bark canoe,” Price says. “So I’m going to learn how to do that. I want to do a program on the West Coast canoes, the West Coast cedar tree compared to the birch tree. Our clothes, everything we have, our boats, our canoes, our houses, was from the cedar tree. And from the birch tree here, also was their homes and their canoes. So I want to do a comparison on the two.”
The Christmas Craft Sale was organized by Christian Chapman and held from Dec. 15-16 with a wide range of artists and craftspeople in attendance.
Gail Bannon, a birch bark crafter from Fort William, enjoyed the “great” response from the people who attended the first day of the Christmas Craft Sale.
“It’s been real busy,” Bannon says. “It’s super nice to see a lot of familiar faces. The sales are good. There’s lots of good friends, lots of hugs, people are happy.”
Bannon had a variety of birch bark baskets and birch bark-encased lighters for sale at the Christmas Craft Sale.
“I’ve got some lighters for sale with birch bark, and I burn images on [the bark],” Bannon says, noting that the Animoosh (Dog) lighter is one of her best sellers. “I always try to include Anishinaabemowin on the work.”
Bannon began creating her birch bark baskets about eight years ago.
“I loved working with the birch bark and the natural materials,” Bannon says. “I also like to burn images with a wood burner onto the baskets.”
Danielle MacLaurin, a photographer from Fort William, appreciated the opportunity to display her and her husband’s photography during the Christmas Craft Sale.
“We started birding, and we noticed that it was beautiful, and that turned into photography,” MacLaurin says. “This is our first time out presenting our work. We are really excited about our work and I think we will continue photographing Pow Wows and bringing photography and elevated photographs to Native work.”
Lucille Atlookan, an artist and Lakehead University student from Eabametoong, enjoyed the atmosphere at the Christmas Craft Sale.
“I’m selling my beadwork and I’m starting to do embroidery,” Atlookan says. “I like coming here to Chapman’s because I feel safe, I feel welcomed and I make money here. When I go to a non-Indigenous craft fair to sell my things, I don’t make money.”
Atlookan also promoted Neechee Studio, a free arts program for youth held once or twice a month at Definitely Superior Art Gallery, during the Christmas Craft Sale.
“We just had a workshop last night on moccasin vamps,” Atlookan says.