News Archive

Overview of the Difficulties in Marketing Inuit Art Due to the Export Restriction Ivory and Whalebone Material

A presentation by Lucassie Arragutainaq,
Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, Canada

In my home community of Sanikiluaq I have a number of different roles. I am a father and husband that is responsible for providing for my family. I am employed as the Manager of our local Hunters and Trappers Association. I am a member owner and director of our locally owned and controlled Co-operative business. I am also a member of the board of Directors of a service Co-operative that provides services to all community Co-ops in the Canadian Arctic.

As you can see from my home, my family and my Co-op I am use to and care about our environment and our wildlife.

The Inuit of Nunavut have lived in our very remote part of Canada for thousands of years. To survive in this very harsh environment we have lived as one with nature. We rely on the land and the water to provide us with food and materials that we need to survive.

Our world has changed a great deal over the last 25 years. In the past we depended on the land and the sea for survival a great deal more than we do today. Times have changed. We now depend on many of the modern conveniences that are available in many parts of the world, but we continue to rely on the resources of land and sea for survival and to keep our culture alive.

Because we depend so much on the land for our very existence, Inuit have a great respect for the environment and wildlife. We recognized a long time ago that if we are to survive we must look after our surroundings.

Unfortunately, everyone in the world does not have the same respect for our environment and the creatures that we share our planet with. Because of that governments have found it necessary to develop regulations and laws to protect the environment and wildlife.

Inuit support efforts to protect wildlife and the areas where they live.

Unfortunately, whenever worldwide regulations are put in place to protect the future of endangered wildlife, action is often very late in coming and usually quite severe. Often these regulatory actions can also have a major impact on the indigenous people of the regions where the protection is being applied. This is the case with the Inuit people of Arctic Canada.

The Inuit people, who have lived off of the land and the sea longer than most groups of civilized man, have always relied on the whale for not only a source of food, but also for many other uses that are all important to their survival in such a harsh geographical region.

Besides using the oil for mesagak and in past for heating and lighting, the bone can be used for tools and the sinew is used for a variety of purposes.

One additional use for the whale is as a raw material for Inuit Art. Compared to how long we have lived on the land, commercial Inuit Art is a new activity. Inuit Art has been contributing to our economy for only 50 years.

Inuit Artists have for decades, used various forms of ivory and whalebone along with other naturally harvested materials, such as soapstone, antler and sinew, to express their artistic point of view. Ivory and whalebone works of art can range from simple inlayed ivory pieces, such as teeth or eyes on intricately carved soapstone carvings, to large pieces made entirely from these natural materials. Some pieces of art created from the skeletal remains of the bowhead whale can be a large as 7 or 8 feet in width! These products have helped to establish this art form as the international valued treasure that it is today!

Raw whalebone and ivory material used by the Inuit artist, comes form the land just as our soapstone comes from the land. Inuit artists use the materials that are found near their communities. When a whale is harvested we use the entire animal. We eat the meat and use all other parts as well. We also use as much of the whales that we find on the beach, whales that have died from natural causes.

Although most ivory is readily available and usable, whalebone is not! The natural cleansing process whereby the flesh and odor is completely removed, takes more than 30 years in a natural environment. Therefore, all of the whalebone material that is currently being used by artists in Arctic Canada is the remnants of a whaling industry that no longer exists! The product predates current wildlife protection agreements, but it is still very difficult to transport.

The worldwide protection of endangered species such as whales has resulted in a wide range of internationally recognized laws governing the import and export of restricted materials such as ivory and whalebone. These laws have had a major impact in stopping the uncontrolled slaughter of these animals!

However, not all countries have established similar regulations. Many European countries recognize the guidelines of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and allow for the import of art that meets the established CITES guidelines. These guidelines allow for the entry of product that pre-dates the 1975 international agreement. Other countries such as the United States, have established regulations whereby import permits will only be allowed on product that can be certified as being at least 125 years old.

This is obviously very difficult for the Inuit artist to understand! Since they know when it is right time to carve. It is also near impossible to obtain certification in the remote communities of Canada’s arctic.

The Inuit people recognize the importance of the protection of these animals on a global basis. At the same time however, we are looking for ways to make sure that the international laws do not place unnecessary restrictions on our efforts to harvest form the land, create employment and to protect and preserve our culture.

Inuit art is not only a source of beauty and income to the Inuit people, but a way to tell the world about their life and origin. Inuit Art is a lasting record of the way of life of one of the world’s last nomadic groups, and it should be preserved for future generations.

At the international level we support the development and enforcement of laws to protect the unnecessary slaughter of whales. At the same time we encourage consistency and flexibility in these laws and regulations to enables the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic to protect our culture and to enjoy a reasonable standard of living.