Summary: How Indigenous people are strengthening fur traditions in an anti-fur world

Animal rights advocates have long condemned the fur business as cruel and needless. However, Northwest Territories artists and trappers disagree.

Indigenous people believe fur can be a sustainable, respectful, and even luxury material for clothing, accessories, and art. They feel it is critical to retain fur’s significance in Indigenous cultures and traditional economics.

Taalrumiq crafts couture and fine art using the materials and techniques of her ancestors. She frequently has to explain to non-Indigenous people the uses, beauty, and cultural importance of fur.

The anti-fur movement has made it more difficult to make a living for people who hunt and trap animals, as well as artists like Taalrumiq who utilize these materials.

Kogiak is a Yellowknife-based Inuvialuit. He claimed to have learned trapping from his father when he was a child.

He acknowledges that unfavorable perceptions of the fur business influence how economically feasible hunting and trapping can be. However, he noted that this prejudice arises from ignorance.

Taalrumiq and Kogiak both agree that there is still a lot more education to be done, and they are willing to help.

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How Indigenous people are strengthening fur traditions in an anti-fur world