Sanders Weistche

Born in Nooskan, at the mouth of Broadback river out on Rupert Bay, Sanders Weistche grew up to excel in the art of snowshoe making. At age 14, he began to try, to learn because he saw the challenge to create something unique, and the opportunity as there was a lot of demand. He saw many needed snowshoes to go hunting and trapping. With help and drawing inspiration from his elder brother Johnny, he excelled in this tradition long before he married.

Today, at 69 years of age, he has learned that to create a good pair of snowshoes, you need to use the right type of wood, and also a little help from someone in shaping the snowshoe. Sanders still practices this tradition during the evenings, and he dreams that someday there will be a center for youth so that elders like himself can teach young people how to make snowshoes, to ensure that this tradition is not lost, and to encourage people to use these tools, because Sanders believes it’s where we came from.