A masterpiece of art and cultural flair

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Art was a form of worship, a way to please the spirits. At seasonal camps, people gathered to exchange raw materials and ultimately, their ideas.

Today, this tradition continues at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik where Inuvialuit, Inuit, Gwich'in, Dene, Métis, and non-aboriginal artists come togetherto exhibit their work and share their experiences, techniques, and styles with each other. There are sculptures, paintings, prints, jewellery, beads, traditional clothing, and moose hair tufting as well as carvings of every kind - on antlers, wood, bone, ivory, and stone.

Visitors can watch artists at work or try their own hand at a varietyof exciting workshops like soapstone carving, paper-making (using Arctic grasses and flowers), and fish-printing (on a t-shirt!). Afterwards, they can savour the gentle caress of a qiviut (muskox wool) sweaterand wrap themselves in the warmth of ancient cultures and traditions:music, storytelling and the energizing pulse of song and dance that resonates across the landscape.

CANADIAN FESTIVALS - GREAT NORTHERN ARTS FESTIVAL (NORTHWEST TERRITORIES) - 2003 CANADIAN COINS 13 is categorised COINS AND PAPER MONEY / 08- ROYAL CANADIAN MINT / 15- ART & CULTURE and sold by l'Imaginaire, a store and specialised website.