Niska Noel takes over the Timmins Museum
Indigenous artisans are displaying and selling their cultural creations at a two-day craft show in Timmins.
Niska Noel has taken over the Timmins Museum, as a way to support local craftspeople and showcase local Indigenous culture.
The event is an opportunity for local Indigenous groups to share their traditions. It also provides an opportunity to bring attention to the creative craftwork of artisans from Timmins and area First Nations.
Over a dozen vendors are selling artwork rooted in culture passed down for generations.
"We started off with the soapstone carvings, the wife and I. We’ve been doing it for 45 years, over 45 years, I guess now," said local artist John Etherington.
"Then we started doing different stuff and that … feathers and some paintings that I do."
This is the third Niska Noel in Timmins and organizers told CTV News the interest from the community has grown each year.
Originally starting off as a one-day event organized between the museum and the Mennonite Central Committee, it has expanded to a weekend showcase. Organizers of the event now also include the Ojibway and Cree Cultural Centre and the Timmins Native Friendship Centre.
"When the Indigenous artists are creating these moccasins and beaded handwork, these are traditions that they’ve carried on," said Monica Towsley, the program co-ordinator for the museum.
"I think with, especially in this time, when we’re looking for truth and reconciliation and learning about their culture, that we have this opportunity to come meet the actual artisans and purchase something from them … is just a step in the right direction."
Towsley added that it is a chance to directly support Indigenous businesses.
One artist was looking for a way to support herself during the pandemic, so Feather Metatawabin decided to honour her late father and fellow artist Gordon Goodwin by selling prints of his cultural work along with her own creations.
"I’m always humbled by the amount of people who recognize his art," she said.
"Because we literally came from nothing and now people still buy his art and he passed away 12 years ago."
The event continues Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Timmins Museum where attendees can sample bannock-on-a-stick and register to learn to make a dreamcatcher, if space is still available.
For more information on the event, visit the Timmins Museum National Exhibition Centre’s Facebook page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada issues travel warning as Hurricane Beryl tears through region
As Hurricane Beryl rips toward the southeast Caribbean, Global Affairs Canada is warning travellers to avoid non-essential travel to Jamaica as well as several countries in the region.
Canadian feels 'abandoned' in Mexico after WestJet strike
More than 1,100 WestJet flights and counting have been cancelled since last Thursday, when a strike by the airlines mechanics union grounded travel plans for more than 100,000 customers.
Trudeau won't commit to national caucus meeting, says he's having calls with MPs
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he's been taking calls from different members of his Liberal caucus following the party's historic byelection loss in a downtown Toronto riding last week, but his focus remains on governing.
Nearly four out of 10 Ontarians considering leaving due to cost of housing: survey
Nearly four out of 10 Ontarians say that they are considering leaving the province due to the high cost of housing, a new survey has found.
1 dead, 2 injured after helicopter crash near B.C.-Alberta border
One person was killed and two others were injured in a helicopter crash near the B.C.-Alberta border on Tuesday evening, according to the RCMP.
Hurricane Beryl roars toward Jamaica after killing at least 6 people in the southeast Caribbean
Hurricane Beryl was roaring toward Jamaica on Wednesday, with islanders scrambling to make preparations after the powerful Category 4 storm earlier killed at least six people and caused significant damage in the southeast Caribbean.
Popular weight loss and diabetes drugs linked to increased risk of rare form of blindness
People who take Ozempic or Wegovy may have a higher risk of developing a rare form of blindness, a new study suggests. Still, doctors say it shouldn’t deter patients from using the medicines to treat diabetes or obesity.
Delta flight diverts to New York after passengers are served spoiled food
A Delta flight from Detroit to Amsterdam was diverted to New York's Kennedy Airport on Wednesday after passengers were served spoiled food, airline officials said.
The son of Asia's richest man is getting married in one of India's most anticipated — and lavish — weddings of the year
Billionaire heir Anant Ambani is set to marry his longtime girlfriend Radhika Merchant later this month, in a lavish ceremony widely described as the country's wedding of the year.