Yukon who is who

Fanny Charlie, nee Tizya (1922 - 2017)

Fanny Tizya was born in May in Old Crow Flats to parents Moses and Martha Tizya. She and Charlie Peter Charlie were married in 1939.¹⁾ She considered herself a self-taught bead worker and created her own designs. Fanny Charlie is recognized as one of Yukon's finest beadwork artists and her beadwork is used as a good example of Old Crow beading. Design elements such as the floral patterns make the Old Crow style distinctive. These are based on real flowers as well as fanciful ones. The floral design generally consists of large, detailed flowers which are symmetrical and often repeated in the same garment. Modern beadwork uses larger beads than those traditionally used. Old Crow beading differs from the southern Tlingit who generally use animal motifs. Fanny's beadwork “Baby Belt” is part of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection. Baby belts were worn across the body and used to carry an infant on the hip or back. Traditionally, a woman would bead the belt during her pregnancy.²⁾