Margaret Nazon, "Milky Way, Starry Night," 2018
beads, shells and cotton twill fabric on canvas (collection of the artist; photo courtesy Glenbow Museum, Calgary)
Margaret Nazon lives in Tsiigehtchic, a remote Gwich'in community near the Mackenzie River south of Inuvik. She makes vibrant beaded works of the galaxies based on photos from the Hubble Space Telescope.
I first heard of COVID-19 in early February when I returned to my home in Tsiigehtchic from a beading symposium in Winnipeg. I had no idea what it was, but by early March, health authorities in the Northwest Territories had announced a plan on how to stay safe from this disease by practising “distance isolation.”
Now, I am isolated in my community of about 150 people. People are washing their hands diligently and keeping their distance from each other. Businesses have closed their doors and employees work from home. Only the grocery store and gas station remain open for a limited time every day.
In early March, my partner, Bob, went to B.C. so I have been by myself, making isolation pretty easy for me. Since I wanted to get some exercise without going into the community, I asked my nephew Albert to build a trail around my property with his skidoo so I can go for daily walks.
When the trail was ready, I counted 100 steps to complete one round. So I decided to do five rounds morning, afternoon and evening, regardless of the weather. Since my home is perched above the Red River and Luga Lake, which is Gwich'in for "where the fish live," I decided to break trail with my snowshoes so I could get a better view.
Margaret Nazon chops wood outside her home.
After my walk, I split wood to burn in my stove and clean the yard, getting rid of the paper, plastic and broken branches that show up when the snow starts to melt.
At least it’s warm and sunny. I stay outdoors as long as possible but I’m never really alone. There are spruce trees and birch surrounding my home. Squirrels, whiskey jacks, rabbits, spruce chickens, snowbirds, ravens and an owl come to visit. We watch one another as the wind chimes sing. We call this “Springtime in the Delta."
Right now, I'm giving beading a break. I'm embroidering a quilt for my new great-granddaughter and making curtains for my granddaughter in Inuvik. I do have the next project in mind for my Hubble-themed series – the Lagoon Nebula. It's the picture in my Deep Space calendar for April and it features various shades of blue, red and purple. ■
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