the well-known stone formationshe’s known for always having a story to tell, and can often be found chatting with fellow Inuit carvers who share the workshop located inside a former high school.
Papatsie carries painful memories from when he attended day school in Pangnirtung, where he says he was subjected to sexual abuse. Carving helps him cope, and also helps him keep his commitment to sobriety. Retailers who profit off the sale of these pieces are “making money off of our likenesses, our art, our people, our cultural practices,” says Obed.
“I just get the sense that some people feel like the problem is too big or that there are no resources or tools – legislative or otherwise – to be able to hold anyone to account for what is taking place,” says Obed. manufacturers. “We did not get much attention for our issues in those days,” he says, and so the imitations persist.
While looking at a piece that was said to have been gifted to the Pope in the 1980s, Obed identified it as a “plastic piece from China,” and he informed the curator.Obed says he cannot quantify how many imitation pieces are sold every day in Canada, but he believes it is widespread and affects Inuit artists’ ability to feed themselves and their families.For example, in Cape Dorset, Nunavut , up to half of all adults gain at least some of their livelihood through art.
by the U.S. Government Accountability office, said the extent of misrepresentation and the size of the market are unknown. From 2006 to 2010, 649 complaints were made by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, the report said, adding that the board determined 150 of these complaints involved an apparent violation of the law. Of those, it referred 117 complaints for further investigation by law enforcement but no cases were filed in federal court as a result.