By: Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio
Maybe you’re watching Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix out of nostalgia for the Nickelodeon show. Maybe it just showed up in your watch list. And maybe you’re here for the northern designers.
Released last week, the eight-episode series is a live-action adaptation of an animated show that aired from 2005 to 2008.
The plot includes four nations – Earth Kingdom, Water Tribe, Fire Nation and Air Nomads – that represent the elements. The Water Tribe takes inspiration from Arctic cultures.
The show’s lead costume designer, Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh, commissioned nine Indigenous designers from northern Canada and Alaska. Three Inuvialuit designers – Christina King, Donna Wolki and Agnes Firth – worked on parkas and mitts that form part of broader costumes designed by Khaki-Sadigh for episodes one, seven and eight.
Watch for the end result in outfits worn by the Southern and Northern Water Tribes in those episodes.
Other Indigenous designers that contributed to the project are Karen Nicloux, Mya Nicloux, Olivia Tagalik of Inuit Creative Expressions, Haley Edmunds-Shiwak, Danielle Rock of Coastal Rock Design, and Golga Oscar.
Selecting those people “came down to how their style matched best with the overall design and look of the show,” said Khaki-Sadigh.
“There were so many artists that we wanted to feature but we unfortunately only had so many costumes, and we hope that we can bring them in for possible future seasons and projects.”
King, known by her Inuit name Taalrumiq, considers herself a devotee of the show.
That’s one of the things Khaki-Sadigh enjoyed about working with her. Speaking of that collaboration, Khaki-Sadigh said King’s work “is not only stunningly beautiful but she is such a huge fan of the show, and when she offered to design some of the trim artwork we just had to feature it.”
During the Covid-19 pandemic, King watched the original animated series with her family. Although it was difficult to keep her part in the project a secret for two and a half years, she said sharing the excitement with her family was enough.
“‘Wow mom, that’s so cool! Your work is going to be on Avatar.’ They were saying comments like that. They’re just very supportive and really excited for me,” she said.
King, from Tuktoyaktuk, describes her work as “very bold, bright, shimmery, but also very traditional.”
“Now I’m at the stage where I’m recreating traditional designs with a really contemporary flare, and very much my personality and style,” she said.
“Through my art and fashion, I like to tell Inuvialuit stories and create meaningful pieces with exciting new materials.”
King created a Facebook page to share her artwork and designs in 2019. A year later, she joined TikTok to spread cultural knowledge and awareness, rapidly amassing more than 100,000 followers.
“I just wasn’t seeing Inuvialuit-specific content and I was thinking, how would it be for our youth and for my children to see TikTok videos of our traditional clothes? So I thought, well, I can show some of the things that I’ve made, and I can create a trend. That’s kind-of how it started,” she said.
“In real life, I am a regular Inuvialuk trying to live a good life. I’m busy raising my five children. I suppose my platforms are growing because I’m sharing my authentic self and what I like to do, which is creating art and fashion.”
When the production company initially reached out to King, she thought it was spam. As that correspondence evolved, she discovered “a real and valid opportunity” – and set about recommending other artists who could take part.
“It’s important for all of us to have these opportunities and for all of us to be seen,” she said.
“Oftentimes, I’m the only Inuvialuk in the room. I think many people can relate to that.”
Inuvik resident Donna Wolki, who has been sewing for more than 20 years, says she was approached to join project after King provided her name.
“I love to sew, and it made it more exciting because it was for Netflix,” Wolki said.
“Netflix is so big. Everybody watches Netflix. To be able to be a part of something like that was very exciting.”
As soon as the show appeared, Wolki began watching the episodes.
For her, that’s the best part: “Being able to see it come to light.”