Ningeosiaq AshoonaFrobisher Bay, NunavutCarver Ningeosiaq was the first born child to Miali Ashoona, a beadwork artist and Teetee Curley a carver of polar bears, in Frobisher Bay (Iqaluit). As per Inuit tradition, the first-born child of a family is often adopted and raised by the child’s grandparents while still being able to have a special relationship with their birth parents. Ningeosiaq was thus born into a family of celebrated artists - her grandmother Mayoreak Ashoona (b. September 27, 1946) and grandfather Qaqaq Ashoona (b. August 18, 1928 - November 2, 1996) (Miali’s parents) were both master carvers whose art celebrated traditional Inuit culture. Her great grandmother Sheouak Parr (Mayoreak’s mother) was one of the first Inuit women involved in the early Kinngait drawing projects of the 1950’s. Her great grandmother on Qaqaq’s side was the legendary artist Pitseolak Ashoona, who was among the very first group of artists to create prints, drawings, and paintings for the Kinngait print studio in the early 60s. She was also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts and received the Order of Canada in 1977. Ningeosiaq’s great uncle Kiugak Ashoona, a famous master carver, was also appointed to the Order of Canada in 2000. Art has always been a part of Ashoona’s life with plenty of gifted people around to inspire and guide her. Ningeosiak lived with her grandparents in Saturituk, an isolated outpost camp on the southern coast of Baffin Island. Living on the land in the camp of Saturituk with her grandparents meant that Ningeosiaq did not attend western school. Carving and making drawings were the main livelihood of camp life. These compositions were sold to Cape Dorset West to sell at the Co-op where they could then purchase supplies to be able to sustain living at the outpost camp. During spring and summer, the family would travel to different locations and camp along the coast, hunting, trapping and fishing. Weeks would be spent mining stone at soapstone quarry sites east of Cape Dorset, and transporting it back to camp by boat. In Fall, using a stick with a noose on it, Ningeosiaq would use this tool to catch fish that were swimming up river from the ocean to the lake. Growing up fishing, she recalls standing on rocks in shallow water, moving rocks until fish emerged. Winter living was based in the outpost camp with day or overnight trips for hunting. Due to traditional living, Ashoona grew up having gained a deep appreciation and affinity to Arctic wildlife at an early age. The loon being Ashoona’s favourite animal to carve, she tells a story of when she was younger how sometimes the nets set at the lake would accidentally catch young loons. She was between 7 and 10 years of age and she would look after them for a few days before they died. She enjoys observing these aquatic birds on land and on the water. She observed their beauty and cared for them. Having grandparents that were master carvers meant that all Qaqaq and Mayoreak’s children learned how to make art. All of their children are well known artists. Ningeosiak was very close to her uncles, Oqitu (Ohito) Ashoona, Ottokie Ashoona and Sapa Ashoona and aunt Siassie (Ashoona) Keanelly. Ashoona’s uncles and aunts were like siblings to her growing up, but her major influence came from her grandmother Mayoreak, who became the most important and biggest role model in her life. Mayoreak taught her granddaughter many techniques of carving by allowing her to watch during the process. Ningeosiaq would help Mayoreak carve mermaids and loons, sharing the story, “At the stone quarry, when I was young girl I saw something through the fog; I thought I saw a mermaid in our boat, and when I went to tell my grandfather, the mermaid was already off the boat. I try to imagine what it would be like to be a mermaid, but my grandmother did not talk about these subjects with me, though she carved these often.” After Qaqaq’s death in 1996, the young girl watched her grandmother go through a major transformation with her art. Inspired by her determined and imaginative grandmother, Ashoona too became a woman carver and credits Mayoreak’s steadfast persistence and creativity within the male-dominated art of carving as her greatest inspiration. After her grandfather’s passing, the family moved to Cape Dorset. It was upon her move to Kinngait where she began to be more deeply influenced by the female carvers around her, including her grandmother. Ashoona developed her carving skills and learned from her grandparents what she needed to survive. She has now been a full time carver for over 20 years with a family of her own to support. Carving for most of her life (since 1998), Ashoona is one of only a few full-time female carvers. Learning from her grandfather Qaqaq how to use hand and power tools with great detail and delicate work has helped her develop her style. Using both hand and power tools Ashoona bridges tradition and versatility. She has had numerous solo exhibitions across Canada. Ashoona’s work has been exhibiting in Canada and abroad at institutions such as the Albers Gallery of Inuit Art, San Francisco, U.S., Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, ON and the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver. She has appeared in the Inuit Art Quarterly.