Centre director says crafts story misleading

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A January AMMSA article on the High Prairie Native Friendship Centre (NFC) Craft Shop is misleading and misrepresents their entire craft program, says NFC director Ellis O'Brien.

The article, which looked at the grievances of an East Prairie craft worker who sells her work in Peace River, had several factual errors, said O'Brien. As well, it did not deal fairly with the work and objectives of the craft program.

Allegations that the High Prairie NFC only bought one pair of slippers for $25.00 from the East Prairie woman was untrue, said O'Brien. The purchase order, signed by that woman, shows three slippers at $35.00. A fourth pair brought in at the same time was of very poor quality and the centre "declined to buy it at any price," O'Brien said.

Suggestions that the centre purchased exclusively from Sucker Creek relatives of High Prairie NFC craft worker Agnes Wright were untrue, O'Brien continued. He offered to provide a list of the High Prairie area producers, which range from Faust to McLellan and north to Loon Lake.

The High Prairie NFC has been operating its craft centre on a commercial basis for a year and on-half now. The objective of the centre is to provide a local market for locally-produced Native crafts.

This sort of market requires two things, said O'Brien. First, it needs a knowledgeable craft worker such as Wright. The craft shop started with a Priority Employment Program (PEP) funded worker. When the PEP grant expired the centre had to find a way to continue funding. This resulted in the markup of crafts, which O'Brien sees as a second part of a good craft market.

"I certainly am not ashamed of that," he said. "We won't do anyone a service if the craft operation goes."

The Slave Lake Centre uses a percentage markup system similar to that of High Prairie. Peace River, on the other hand, imposes simply a flat rate markup to all of its crafts. This difference reflects a different "stable" of producers and a different market in the three communities. We're not ripping off the crafts people. We're paying them a fair price," said O'Brien.

He does not distinguish between benefits to the centre and benefits of the Native craft producers or community as a whole. The point, says O'Brien, is the market.

"The primary objective of our involvement in the crafts market is to provide an employment opportunity and expand operations. We must do this on a business basis.

"If we depend on handouts, the shop won't last. If it can be set up on a solid business foundation, it can carry on and expand operations," O'Brien concluded.