SUSTAINABLE FUR

Sustainable Fur

NUNAVUT SEAL FUR:

Seal skin drying on a square frame.
Photograph by Jill Oakes
Source: www.allaboutshoes.ca

Designed by Beely uses sustainably sourced Ringed Seal fur from Nunavut. The seals are harvested by the local Inuit hunters who send the excess raw pelts that their community does not need down to a tannery in southern Canada. The rest of the seal, including meat and bones, are used for food, tools and crafts. The tanned pelts are ready to use for clothing, arts and crafts. For more information about the sustainable seal harvest in Nunavut, please visit Fur Harvesters Inc .

The following excerpt from their website notes the value of their seal hunt:
“Once a nomadic people, surviving on a seasonal harvest, we remain closely tied to our land and its resources. The seal hunt is a cornerstone in our social culture and economic well being, important to the entire fabric of the community. The harvesting, working and selling of seal skins complement other community activities including craft production and tourism. The skills of hunting, cutting the meat and treating the skins are learned at an early age. Sewing of sealskin mittens, kamiks (boots) and parkas for the family utilizes some of the quality skins from the subsistence hunt. Income earned from the sale of surplus sealskins and skin products is used to finance hunting equipment and supplies. This continues to put food on the table through changing times.”

For more information about sealing in Nunavut, click here.

NOTE: Seal skin products cannot be exported to the USA, European Union, Mexico, or Taiwan

VINTAGE FUR:
Quality vintage furs obtained from fur coats are also used in Beely’s designs.

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