Ourselves as much as others have spoken at length about Oviloo Tunnillie's representations of women, whether it be their form, auto-biographical snippets of her life, or their multiple roles within society and the family Indeed, many of the works we have be fortunate enough to be stewards of highlight various female members of the family, such as Ikayukta Tunnillie Carrying her Drawings to the Co-op (Lot 28, First Arts Auction 2 December 2024), and Oviloo and Granddaughter Tye Holding Photo by Jerry Riley (Lot 62 First Arts Auction 5 December 2022). Fewer in number to her figural pieces are her charming still lifes, exemplified by the present Bannock Cooking on Qulliq. Held aloft by a metal grill, the heavy pan is laden with bannock, sitting atop the familiar boat hull-like curves of a qulliq propped up on more stone. A well used taqquti is at the ready to tend the flames, maintaining an even cook as well as heat for those waiting for lunch. Traditionally a woman's responsibility to manage and maintain, there is something poignant in this rendering by Oviloo, as it is both a nod to honour her maternal role within her own family, but also to the more masculine tradition of carving. Oviloo didn't mince her thoughts on the idea either, making a statement about how these roles were seen, and could be seen going forward.

At one time, when I was younger, I was shy, almost embarrassed to carve. If a woman was a carver it was a very unusual thing. People would see it as man’s work, but today the woman has to be recognized more. Women are homemakers and mothers, but also women are carvers now. I want women to be strong, to try and use their talents.1

1) Oviloo Tunnillie, quoted in Oviloo Tunnillie (Vancouver: Marion Scott Gallery, 1994), unpaginated.