Thunder Bay Aboriginal Fine Arts show passes on tradition and culture
More than 70 artists from across northern Ontario selling dreamcatchers, mocassins, paintings
The dreamcatchers, colourful paintings and beaded mocassins covering the tables at the annual Christmas Aboriginal Fine Arts and Craft Show in Thunder Bay, Ont., aren't just merchandise, but instead are gifts of learning and healing, say some of the approximately 70 exhibitors from across northern Ontario.
It was John Paul Lavand's older brother who was the artist in the family, already painting in oils before his death at the age of seven.
"Through my four-year-old eyes it was almost like me looking at a photograph, how he was painting," said the Kenora man.
Lavand was determined to keep his brother's creative spark burning.
"The reason I kept on drawing was because I wanted to keep his spirit alive."
Now, Lavand believes his intricate wildlife drawings, and paintings in the style of Benjamin Chee Chee are helping to keep his culture alive as well.
"I'm just glad that people haven't forgotten their roots and some of their traditions," he said.
Passing that knowledge to the next generation is one of the reasons Leona Morris of Thunder Bay, and her mother Marian craft handmade embroidered cotton bonnets, and traditional baby carriers, including tikanagans and moss bags.
"I think it's important because it's keeping some of our traditions alive, like for babies to wear the bonnets and the moss bags too, it's part of our tradition," said Morris.
The chance to educate Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike is the motivation for Thunder Bay crafter Paul Francis to return to the event year after year.
He relishes the chance to explain the importance of each of the materials he uses, especially in the mobiles he makes to hang over babies' cribs.
Each one begins with a circle of willow "and then off the willow I hang four dreamcatchers, for the four directions, and then I put seven feathers on them for our seven teachings and in the middle I hang an eagle feather, because the eagle feather is important to our people so I get to do a lot of teaching too about what they're all about."
The Christmas Aboriginal Fine Arts and Crafts Show continues until Saturday Dec. 17 at the Victoriaville Centre in Thunder Bay.