Jessie Oonark, Janet Kigusiuq, and Victoria Mamnguqsualuk | ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᒃ DOUBLE VISION

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Jessie Oonark (Qamani’tuaq [Baker Lake] 1906–1985), “Untitled,” c. 1972–1973

wool felt on wool duffle, 51" x 33.5" (Government of Nunavut Fine Art Collection on long-term loan to the Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2.76.2)

Double Vision is centred on the practice of Jessie Oonark (1906–1985) and two of her daughters, Janet Kigusiuq and Victoria Mamnguqsualuk. Although Oonark only began drawing and working with wool at the age of 59 once she moved to Qamani’tuaq (meaning “Where the River Widens,” also known as Baker Lake in Nunavut), she is arguably one the most influential Inuit textile makers. Eight of her children became artists: Victoria Mamnguqsualuk, Josiah Nuilaalik, Nancy Pukingrnak Aupaluktuq, Miriam Qiyuk, Peggy Qablunaaq Aittauq, Mary Yuusipik Singaqti, William Noah, and Janet Kigusiuq. Together they formed the cornerstone of artistic production in the community of Qamani’tuaq. 

When new economies were being generated in Nunavut to replace the fur trade and local Indigenous economies, foremost among them was handicrafts. In the 1940s and 1950s, the federal government invested as much into the production of handicrafts as they did into stone carving and later, printmaking. Handicrafts were firmly the domain of women who immediately saw the potential of nivinngajuliaat (wall hangings) to tell stories.  

Regional styles were quickly developed. In the community of Arviat, textiles were embellished with heavy appliqué through beading (a translation of beadwork practices already in use in clothing) and the creation of three-dimensional figures; Pangnirtung became known for large-scale woven pictorial tapestries; and Qamani’tuaq—where Oonark lived and worked—for their bright, stitched duffel works often featuring cut-out images centring on the dynamics and interrelationships between people, animals, and the spiritual world. In Qamani’tuaq, women mentored one another and produced unique aesthetic and conceptual lineages. This is particularly the case with Oonark's family, creating what is a distinctly matriarchal practice. 

ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥᐅᑕᒥᒃ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᐅᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ: 

ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᒃ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᓗᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᔭᓯ ᐆᓇᕐᒥᒃ (1906-1985) ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒪᕐᕉᒃ ᐸᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᔭᓂᑦ ᑭᒍᓯᐅᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕕᒃᑐᕆᔭ ᒪᒻᖑᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ. ᑕᐃᒪᓕ ᐆᓇᖅ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖃᑦᑕᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᓇᖃᑦᑕᓕᖅᖢᓂ ᓄᕕᖅᓵᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ 59−ᓂᒃ ᓅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍᖅ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒧᑦ (ᑐᑭᖃᖅᑐᖅ “ᑰᒃ ᓯᓕᒃᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᑐᖅ”)ᑕᐃᒪᓕ ᐊᐃᕙᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓂᖅᐹᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓅᓪᓗᓂ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᒃᑲᐅᓂᖓᓂᒃ. 8−ᖑᔪᑦ ᕿᑐᙵᖏᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᒻᒪᕆᐅᖕᒥᔪᑦ: ᕕᒃᑐᕆᔭ ᒪᒻᖑᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ, ᔪᓯᐊ ᓄᐃᓛᓕᒃ, ᓈᓐᓯ ᐳᑭᖕᓇᒃ ᐊᐅᐸᓗᒃᑐᖅ, ᒥᕆᐊᒻ ᕿᔪᒃ, ᐱᒋ ᖃᑉᓗᓈᖅ ᐊᐃᑦᑕᐅᖅ, ᒥᐊᓕ ᔫᓯᐱᒃ ᓯᖓᖅᑎ, ᕕᓕᐊᒻ ᓄᐊ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᔮᓂᑦ ᑭᒍᓯᐅᖅ. ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᐅᑐᒃᑕᐅᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᐅᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᑉ ᓄᓇᓕᐊᓂᒃ. 

ᑕᐃᒪᓕ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᒃᓴᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ ᐃᓇᒋᖅᓯᔾᔪᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᒥᕐᓂᒃ ᓂᐅᕐᕈᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᒋᕙᒃᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐊᖑᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ. ᐅᑭᐅᒃ 1940 ᐊᒻᒪᓗ 1950 ᐊᑐᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᖃᕋᓱᒻᒪᕆᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐊᖑᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒡᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᖑᓂᐊᒍᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᒐᕐᓂᒃ. ᒥᖅᓱᒐᐃᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᓂᕕᙵᑕᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᐅᓯᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᕙᒃᖢᑎᒃ. 

ᓴᓇᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᕈᓐᓃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᓇᑭᒃ ᓄᓇᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᕙᖕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓂ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᑦ ᓱᖓᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᓴᓇᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ (ᐊᓐᓂᕌᑦ ᓱᖓᐅᔭᓕᖅᓱᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓴᓇᕙᒃᑐᑦ) ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᓇᕙᒃᑭᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᖓᓱᓕᖓᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖑᐊᓂᒃ; ᐸᖕᓂᖅᑑᒥᐅᓪᓕ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᓴᓇᕙᖕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᕕᖅᓴᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᖏᔪᓂᒃ ᓂᕕᙵᔪᓕᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ: ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᐅᑦ ᓴᓇᕙᒃᖢᑎᒃ −−− ᐆᓇᐅᑉ ᓄᓇᒋᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔭᖓᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᓇᕙᒃᖢᓂ−−− ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᑕᖅᓴᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᑕᕗᓪᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᕙᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᑭᔾᔭᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖑᐊᓂᒃ, ᓂᕐᔪᑎᖑᐊᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᒃᐱᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ. ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᑦ, ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᐃᖕᒥᖕᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᔪᕈᓐᓃᕈᑎᒋᕙᒃᖢᓂᒋᑦ ᓴᓇᓂᐊᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐆᓇᖅᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᕿᑐᙵᒥᓄᒃ, ᐱᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ.