qa q , ▁K ia w ak ▁or ▁Ki ug ak , ▁and ▁daughter ▁Nap ach ie ▁P oot o og ook , ▁herself ▁. ▁Years ▁of ▁hard ship ▁followed ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Ash o ona , ▁which ▁occurred ▁som etime ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁to ▁mid ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁He ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁market ▁for ▁f urs . ▁ ▁Over ▁time ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁Ash o ona ▁led ▁Pit se ol ak ▁to ▁become ▁an ▁artist . ▁M aking ▁prints ▁e ased ▁her ▁l onel iness ▁and ▁she ▁described ▁her ▁art ▁as ▁what ▁made ▁her ▁" the ▁happ iest ▁since ▁he ▁died ". ▁Pit se ol ak ' s ▁art work ▁later ▁enabled ▁her ▁to ▁support ▁her ▁family . ▁Though ▁her ▁art ▁arose ▁from ▁pain ful ▁circumstances , ▁it ▁expressed ▁mostly ▁positive ▁mem ories ▁and ▁experiences . ▁As ▁Christ ine ▁L al onde ▁notes ▁in ▁Pit se ol ak ▁Ash o ona : ▁Life ▁& ▁Work : ▁" sc enes ▁of ▁dep riv ation ▁and ▁suffering ▁almost ▁never ▁appear ▁in ▁her ▁draw ings , ▁though ▁certain ▁images ▁convey ▁sad ness ▁and ▁long ing " ▁about ▁the ▁passing ▁of ▁Ash o ona . ▁ ▁Pit se ol ak ▁is ▁recognized ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁In uit ▁artists ▁to ▁create ▁aut obi ographical ▁works . ▁Her ▁art ▁contained ▁images ▁of ▁traditional ▁In uit ▁life ▁and ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁modern ▁In uit ▁art