Anishinabek artists showcase artwork at annual Christmas crafts show

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY—Wiikwemkoong’s Martina Osawamick brought back some of the porcupine quill and other arts and craft pieces she is known for to the 17th Annual Christmas Aboriginal Fine Arts and Crafts Gift Show in Thunder Bay.

“I haven’t been here for some time now since my husband passed away,” says Osawamick, a Nokomis with Cambrian College’s Wabnode Centre for Indigenous Services. “I’m trying to get back to doing the crafts and doing some shows. I have birch bark teepees, canoes, beaded earrings, I have the Nokomis scarves, keychains and scarves with appliqued flowers and bears.”

Osawamick also had some of Bruno Henry’s antler earrings from Manitoulin Island for sale as well as a range of beaded lanyards and eye glass holders. Henry is an artist, photographer and fashion designer from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory.

“He lives in Wiikwemkoong, and I am carrying his antler earrings,” Osawamick says.

Osawamick began selling Aboriginal arts and crafts about 30 years ago and has since travelled across Turtle Island as well as to New Zealand and Hawaii.

“My husband and I used to do the Florida shows during the winter months,” Osawamick says. “And we do the Gathering of Nations.”

Wiikwemkoong’s Dwayne Wabegijig and Garden River’s Anthony Perreault also brought in some of the arts and crafts they are known for to the gift show, which was held from Dec. 19-21 at the Lakehead University C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse.

“The Christmas show is always the best one,” says Wabegijig, noting that he blends realism with the Woodland style in his art. “I’m doing a little bit of portraiture now. Every year, I try to do something different and keep improving on what I’ve done before.”

Wabegijig began drawing when he was about nine or 10-years-old.

“I picked up acrylic paints and canvas when I was 20,” Wabegijig says. “I did a lot of studying — I picked up the Woodland style about five or six years ago. [My art] is obviously not traditional, but it is something different that I always get good reactions to. And I’m also learning every time I get those reactions.”

Wabegijig likes the new location for the Christmas Aboriginal Fine Arts and Crafts Gift Show, which used to be held at the Victoriaville Centre on the southern side of Thunder Bay.

“There’s a steady group of people, some students, some people just coming here for the show,” Wabegijig says.

Perreault adds that he is “doing pretty well” at the new location. He sells items from his family’s business, The Family Tree, which is located in Garden River.

“It seems like it is flowing pretty good for the first day,” Perreault says. “I have a lot of different products. I’ve got lanyards, t-shirts, different kinds of wallets, more books, lots of jackets, the colourful ones like the blankets.”

Perreault says the variety of items in his booth is “just too much for people to look at.”

“They do like books,” Perreault says. “We try to get as many books as we can into the store.”

John Ferris, coordinator and founder of the Aboriginal Artworks Group of Northern Ontario, says the new location has more parking for the vendors and customers.

“There’s quite a bit of moccasins and beadwork,” Ferris says. “And we have the leather suppliers, bead suppliers, rawhide suppliers and fur suppliers.”