Comic book hero teaches safe carving practices

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In a bid to eliminate unsafe carving practices in Canada's remote northern regions, the Inuit Art Foundation has invented a comic book super hero-Sanannguagartiit - Inuktitut for "your carving buddy."

The comic book, The Adventures of Sanannguagartiit, is the first in a series of health and safety modules that are destined for Inuit carvers in the Northwest Territories, northern Quebec and Labrador.

The comic books sends the message to carvers that they must practise safe art or risk serious health hazards. It takes the reader on a journey through the bleak Arctic cold, all the while teaching the benefits of protecting themselves. As Inuit Art Foundation executive director Marybelle Mitchell says: "Carving stone contains a variety of impurities, including asbestos, and it makes good sense to wear a mask when carving."

The first health and safety module contains a poster which highlights safety practices, a mask, and a polyethylene Ziploc bag. The artists are urged to keep their masks free from contamination by putting them in the plastic bag when not in use.

The poster, designed by the foundation, highlights some of Sanannguagartiit's adventures in safety and will be a constant reminder, not only to protect one's health, but to clean up the work area after carving. As Sanannguagartiit says, "Be a smart carver, be a safe carver."

The module, the first of its kind, was to reach every Inuit artist across Canada by mid-January. The second module, planned for early April, will focus on the safe use of tools, particularly power tools. Artists have also asked for information on copyright, and this will be the subject of a third module scheduled for early autumn.

The Inuit Art Foundation is a registered charitable organization. Its goal is to further the creative expressions of Inuit artists and to foster a broader understanding of these expressions worldwide.