Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our overall approach to development of a secondary diamond manufacturing industry has missed the opportunity to tap into the amazing artistry of our people. By pouring millions into a northern diamond cutting and polishing industry, we’ve gone head to head with global producers. Their competitive advantage of rock-bottom wage rates and established expertise has proven difficult to beat. In contrast, we have a strong local, regional and national market for art, foreign tourists looking for northern-made, authentic NWT souvenirs and a motherlode of talented but untapped artists to fill the demand.
Any cursory survey of our current artistic production – our painting, sculpting, fine crafts and designs – confirms the cadre of artistic talents equal to any on the globe. That’s our competitive advantage.
What’s been lacking is training in the skills and techniques of creating fine jewellery. Nunavut provides a successful example of combining northern skills with training in attractive silver and gold jewellery making. We see these beautiful products today in Arctic Co-operatives and other outlets. What we want to do is combine the proven artistic design talents of our unique northern artisans with the technical know-how to produce quality jewellery with a volume that modern technology allows.
I have no doubt that when unleashed with appropriate support, this product would develop a strong value-added market to our territorial and polar bear diamonds. We know that the diamond polishing route has been problematic. Let’s respond and add the magic ingredient of our artists’ vision.
One local highly successful producer of jewellery has been recognizing this opportunity and suggesting such training for years, and could provide some of the required training. Given that one of our diamond mines is a partnership with one of the world’s prestigious jewellery producers, perhaps arrangements for local benefits could include access to these skills through training.
What I’m talking about is playing to strength, Mr. Speaker. Our artists’ endless creativity and a northern artistic motif found nowhere else in the world; these are our strengths. As we enter into the business planning for our future ITI programs, I’ll be looking for innovative support of this fertile sector and I’ll be asking the Minister for his ideas on how we can make this happen. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
