In this episode we talk with mentor Charlene Rumbolt, and apprentice Katie Lee who are two participants of Heritage NL’s Mentor-Apprentice Program.

Charlene is the lead artist and knowledge keeper at the Great Caribou Studio in Mary's Harbour. A talented seamstress, she was a winner in the Senior Visual Arts division of Arts & Letters NL in 2019 and 2021. Charlene is a member of the NL Craft Council. She began sewing at 11 years old and has since made dresses, pants, handbags and more. Charlene has taught crafting and art for over twenty years, in both group and individual settings. For the last 12 years, after learning from elders in Nain and Hopedale, Charlene has been making the traditional Cossack/Dickie and the Akalik. Learn more about her work at Great Caribou Studio.

Prior to the start of the program Katie had basic skills in cossack making and was intent on improving her abilities. Her artwork has been inspired by her Indigenous roots and she plans on making more traditional outerwear to carry on her ancestors traditional craft while simultaneously expressing her own creativity within her culture. She has previously worked at the Great Caribou Studio in Mary's Harbour.

Ep040 A Brief History of Knitting in Canada

Living Heritage PodcastBy Living HeritageMay 05, 2016