Fur has become a fashion faux pas in some circles. Aggressive anti-fur campaigns with graphic images and slogans have made furs, feathers and hides increasingly unpopular in popular culture. Animal rights groups say fur farms are cruel, wild animals are trapped inhumanely, and fur just isn’t necessary. It has brought international attention to a move to ban it all together.

But for these Indigenous trappers and artisans who use fur, it’s a way of life:

Since 1971, the Manitoba Trappers Association, currently led by President Kenneth Woitowicz, has hosted the Thompson Fur Table. Trappers from all over the north come to this two-day event to sell their furs and even compete for who has the best furs. Trappers like Jeff Laliberty and Terry McLellan. Or youth like Robin Donaldson and Deja Tait, who has been trapping since she was 12 years old. While fewer people come each year, trappers try to stay optimistic about a way of life that has sustained generations, a way of life they still pass on.

We head north from Manitoba to the Northwest Territories. Nathan Kogiak is the Fur Marketing and Sales Coordinator for the Government of the Northwest Territories. He helps artisans access affordable materials for their crafts. But Nathan isn’t just a public servant. As an Inuvialuk, he also spends a lot of his life out on the trap lines. He knows how challenging – and rewarding – the hunting and trapping way of life can be.

Taalrumiq is an Inuvialuit artist, fashion designer, and content creator from Tuktoyaktuk. She also sees herself as an educator. Whether through her online videos or her travels south to sell her work, Taalrumiq takes the opportunity to challenge anti-fur sentiment and offer a different perspective that comes from a long line of fur fashion.