NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Dehcho Region, North Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, traditional knowledge, traditional art

Objective(s): To provide detail and understanding to moose hair tufted objects housed at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.

Project Description: First, to provide detail and understanding to moose hair tufted objects housed at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Second, demonstrate how women’s embroidery critically underpins their role in communities throughout history. Third, to provide a forum where women can learn from each other and practice tufting. Finally, and ultimately, the development and dissemination of moose hair tufting within and beyond the Metis community. Recruitment will take place in the following ways: first, the research student intends to contact staff at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre and staff at the Fort Providence Métis Council in regards to local artists the student can potentially contact. This method acts as a starting point to initiate contact and the student will contact potential participants using the telephone. Second, the student researcher intends to advertise the workshops using a recruitment poster or through the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre's Facebook page. Semi-structured interviews: Interviews will last about an hour and will follow workshops held at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Interviews will be conducted with Elders, artists, women, and potentially men, living in Yellowknife or Fort Providence. These interviews will be recorded using an audio-recorder but only upon permission. Focus groups/participatory workshops will take place at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. The workshops will last about 3 hours, two to three days a week. They will be conducted at various stages over the course of the research project. Participants include Elders, tufting artists, women and men living in Yellowknife and Fort Providence. Workshops consist of observing, handling, and discussing objects which display the art of moose hair tufting. These sessions are designed to elicit narratives of female embroidery. Later, workshops will center on the participatory making of moose hair tufted objects. Consent will be asked prior to scheduling the participatory workshops and before the sessions. These workshops will be audio recorded with permission from the participants. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to record workshops with the provision of cameras. Participant visual recording acts as a form of photo voice and allows participants to document their experiences through their own eyes. Participant observation will be used throughout the duration of the study, as it is a crucial method within anthropological research. This will help the student researcher to develop a rapport within the community and immerse herself in the cultural context and in the sessions to better understand the processes of making embroidered objects. The research team will continuously communicate with both individuals and communities throughout the research project via phone and email. If an individual has neither, the team will communicate with them through a third party or through the Fort Providence Metis Council. Communication is vital to this research project to ensure that all information is correct and to respect the participants involved. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from February 8, 2019 to June 30, 2019.