b'ART GALLERIESThe Ahnisnabae Art Gallery currently represents around 300 Indigenous artists and creators, many of them Anishninaabe from the local regiongallery Wah-Sah and helped him launch his first print edition.Ahnisnabae Art Gallery started small, showing work by just a handful of artists. Today, it has expanded its pool to represent about 300 Indigenous creators, many of whom are Anishinaabe artists from the local area. It operates without grant funding. Ive strictly created my gallery on my own and Im very proud of what Ive accomplished, Thomas says.In 2015, Thomas was diagnosed with breast cancer. Nonetheless, she says, I just felt I needed to keep going and fight like Ive never fought before and beat this.Thomas has added a new revenue stream in the form of a framing business, and both her sons, Roy and Randy, work with her. She also augments the art business with sales of small-ticket items like dream catchers (things that move fast) and is moving into printing. Indigenous art is just as beautiful as non-Indigenous art, and I think it shouldNIAGARA CHAPTER be treated the same as far as the estheticsNATIVE WOMEN INC.and as far as price, she notes. I still work with artists that dont know how to priceProviding programs / services for Indigenous women & their their work. I say, Dont give it away,families in the Bi-National Niagara Region for 40 years.because you have to use your brains, your talent, to create it. 3RD ANNUALBlockers & Attackers: Indigenous Women in Sports When Thomas started her gallery, she says,Leadership April 15th 2023she had little in the way of skills, but a lotCELEBRATE OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY!!in the way of determination. I didnt have the education [but] I thought I have twoSponsors welcome, check us out at www.ncnw.caboys and I have to keep a roof over theirMain office: Fort Erie, ON, Canadahead. Ive got to get my ass in gear and905.871.8770do something before the money runs out. And it worked. I hope this encourages our people to do something, to do whatever, but to do it with kindness and with love and with enthusiasm. Ontario Native Womens Association29'