Danita Allaire is feeling a mix of emotions as she prepares to head to Montreal to sell her wares at the 2025 International Indigenous Tourism Conference (IITC). 

"I'm very excited, but I'm also very nervous," the Fort Simpson-based artist said a few days before she headed south for the event. "I'm feeling the pressure."

IIRC is scheduled for Feb. 25-27. Allaire will be one five NWT artists to attend the conference with NWT Arts, a branch of the GNWT. She has never met any of her compatriots before, which is part of the reason for her nerves. 

"There's only five us from the NWT Arts program going, and no other people from the Deh Cho," she said. "I'm going with people I don't know, and travelling so far."

While Allaire is feeling some apprehension before her departure, she is well-prepared. She learned how to stitch and bead from her grandmother as a girl, and in the years since, has developed many additional skills on her own. 

"I've always been into beading," she said. "When you start off as a little kid, you make a little string of beads, like a little necklace on a string. That's kind of how little kids start off beading. It's part of the program in school too SA国际影视传媒� we learned how to bead there, but I mainly did it at home with my grandmother. I got more into it in junior high. I made loom work, and I kind of got into the fun stuff. I made stuff for my friends, but then I kind of put it down for a long time.

"When I was on maternity leave with my daughter, I decided I wanted to keep busy, so I picked it up again, and started making little tote bags and coin purses, and when I moved back home to Fort Simpson about six years ago, that's when I picked up earring-making.

"I got into different styles and I taught everything [to] myself, watching how-to videos and things like that."

Allaire has a number of pieces prepared for her visit to Montreal, including her first feather earrings. 

"I finally decided on my business name, before the Christmas holidays," she said. "I decided to go with Silver Feather Design, so I did my first feather earrings [for IITC]... I was very excited to do my first feather earrings."

Despite feeling some pressure ahead of her trip to Montreal, Allaire is also eager. She is, of course, hoping that the items she's prepared sell well, but she's most anticipating the opportunity to mingle with other Indigenous artists from across the country. 

"ISA国际影视传媒檓 excited about meeting new people, and seeing how other artists set up and how other artists do their work," she said. "I've always loved to see other artists' work. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 very inspiring. I learned a lot from my last market [I attended], just going to Yellowknife.

"There's so much to learn, so I'm excited to learn new things,SA国际影视传媒� she added. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 nervous that I don't know anybody, but I'm excited to meet new people, and talk about how they do their crafting, because everyone has their different ways.SA国际影视传媒�