Project Description

I did this in honor of Henrietta Millek, an Inuit woman from Labrador, who went missing in St. John’s NL, 30 years ago while attending school to be a nurse. It is the oldest cold case file in NL. I chose white leather as the backdrop for my vamps, and used the colors of the Nunatsiavut flag; white, green and blue. Self government had not yet been achieved before Henrietta’s disappearance. I thought it was appropriate to use snow shoes as they have always been used traditionally in our culture and they were an appropriate symbol for “Walking With Our Sisters”. I chose to use 3 stars on each vamp; on the first to represent Henrietta’s three sons, two who were placed for adoption and one who was raised by her mother, and on the second to represent her presence between her own parents; each sister is someone’s daughter. I chose the colors of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights); once you’ve experienced seeing them it’s something you can never quite forget, it also reminded me of the phrase, “Look at the stars, how they shine for you”, an impression I felt very strongly while making the choice of what would be appropriate symbolism to use to honor our sister. I placed random white beads on the vamp to represent the glistening snow seen by those walking the Earth in winter, their presence represents the hope that still glistens in the lives of all family and friends for knowledge and closure of their loved ones whose trails have lead them into the unknown; there is hope that the government of Canada will recognize the value and worth of the lives of our sisters and will honor and acknowledge their worth by finally holding an inquiry.

by Pee Vee