Sealskin Wall Hangings by Mina Kumarluk Napartuk

In 2026 BMO donated six sealskin-and-wool wall hangings made by Inuit women artists from Nunavik (Arctic Quebec) in the 1970s and 1980s to the McMichael collection. Four of the wall hangings are by Mina Kumarluk Napartuk (1913–2001), a pioneering textile artist and arts facilitator from Nunavik. She was born in a traditional Inuit camp near Richmond Gulf on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay. As a child, she watched her mother sew clothing for their family to keep them warm during winter’s coldest months. From observation and instruction, Napartuk learned to harvest animal skins and sew traditional garments, eventually becoming skilled enough to sew waterproof kayaks. In the 1950s, when she and her family were still living out on the land, they were identified by the federal government for relocation to the High Arctic. Napartuk refused to be relocated and continued to live semi-nomadically before settling in Kuujjuarapik (Great Whale River) in the 1960s. In 1986 she and her family returned to the land of her youth on Richmond Gulf, where a new community called Umiujaq was established in 1986. Napartuk and her family were among the first to settle there.  

In June 1974 Napartuk attended the Arctic Women’s Workshop in Toronto. This week-long gathering of Inuit women from across Canada provided an opportunity for artists to connect with one another, learn techniques, and advocate together to build a stronger arts community. The trip included various workshops, brainstorming sessions, and field trips, including a visit to the McMichael. During the conference, participants also visited the opening of the exhibition Crafts from Arctic Canada, organized by the CEAC at the TD Centre. The exhibition featured a mix of traditional Inuit clothing and objects as well as contemporary works made for southern arts markets. Here, Napartuk encountered duffle appliqué and embroidered wall hangings as well as weavings from Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), Arviat, Kangiqliniq (Rankin Inlet), Taloyoak (Spence Bay), and Pangnirtung.  

Shortly after she returned to Nunavik, Napartuk began making large-scale wall hangings using sealskin appliqué, perhaps inspired by the works she had encountered in Toronto. She often collaborated on making wall hangings, taking the opportunity to share skills and teach a younger generation. In December 1974 a large sealskin wall hanging made by Napartuk and fellow artist Annie Niviaxie (1930–1989) was installed in the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.  

Wall hangings from Nunavik are often very different from those made in other Inuit communities. Wall hangings from Nunavik are often rendered in a more subdued palette (black wool felt, natural sealskin, and leather) and depict realistic camp scenes rather than decorative compositions. Another crucial difference is the regular inclusion of syllabic text identifying elements of the compositions. As the art form continued to develop through the 1980s, compositions became more elaborate and text became longer and more descriptive.