Gwich'in artist finds healing through moccasin making workshop in Yellowknife

A Tetlit Gwich'in artist teaching moccasin making in Yellowknife says showing others her craft is helping with her own mental health journey. 

Cynthia Pavlovich taught a group how to sew and bead their own slippers throughout November and December. 

"I just love that I'm able to share the love of traditional arts with people," she said. "I find it to be something very heart-filling, it's something that connects me to my culture." 

Pavlovich said she's an intergenerational residential school survivor and art is something that's helped her heal. 

"It wasn't until I started to learn my language and take back my culture and really invest my time into art and sharing the arts that I found that to be the most powerful part of my healing journey is to give back to those around me," she said.

The workshops were set up for the holidays, but Pavlovich said anyone who needs some extra help to finish can call her. 

"Having the ability to connect with people in my workshops is something that I really love. I kind of feel like as an Indigenous person that anyone that I interact with like this becomes a part of my family," she said. 

"Now that you're family, you're always welcome at my table to come over and be with me any evening and finish the projects or work on whatever you need help with."

The workshops were held at a business in downtown Yellowknife called The Party Place.

Cherish Winsor is the owner and also a participant in the moccasin making workshop. 

"I had tried beading once before a couple of years ago, so this was kind of my first real foray into it and I spent many, many hours over the last couple of weeks," she said.

"It's great. I've poked my fingers a lot of times though," she added with a laugh. "I'm going to get some good calluses for sure."

Winsor said she and Pavlovich plan to offer more art workshops in the new year.