Thrasher, Mona

Born in a bush camp on the Mackenzie Delta in the Northwest Territories to a Portuguese-Canadian father and an Alaskan Inuit mother. Attended a Catholic mission school from ages 10 to 17; deafened at 13 from a shotgun blast fired by her head. Remained in regular public schools through graduation. Began taking art classes in her early teens, getting her first commission at 18 to do several murals for the Igloo Church in Inuvik, NWT. In 1990, moved to Yellowknife and became the artist-in-residence at an art gallery there. Her paintings and pastels reflect her upbringing and life in the Inuit (Eskimo) culture.