As is tradition, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau arrived in Washington for their official visit bearing gifts for their hosts.
According to a statement released by Trudeau鈥檚 press secretary, these gifts, which represent Canadian culture, heritage and enterprise, are being given to the Obama family as the historic three-day state visit gets underway:
From Justin Trudeau to Barack Obama:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is giving the U.S. president a soapstone sculpture called 鈥淐ourage鈥� by Woodland Cree artist Leo Arcand, who is from the Alexander First Nations reserve in Northern Alberta. According to the statement, the themes of 鈥減ower and peace are interwoven鈥� through Arcand鈥檚 works, which are displayed in major private and public collections throughout Canada and the United States.
In an interview on CTV鈥檚 News Channel, Arcand said he only found out on Thursday morning that one of his pieces was being presented to the Obamas as a gift.
鈥淚 was surprised, ecstatic,鈥� Arcand said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize a piece of mine has been chosen to be given to the president of the United States.鈥�
Arcand said he was 鈥渃ompletely in the dark鈥� before he got a phone call from a gallery Thursday morning, telling him 鈥渢he good news.鈥�
Arcand said the sculpture, which depicts an eagle and a human face, represents 鈥渉umanity,鈥� 鈥渒indness,鈥� 鈥渓ove鈥� and 鈥渨orking together.鈥�
From Sophie Gregoire Trudeau to Michelle Obama:
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau is gifting Michelle Obama a native aboriginal beaded cape by Tammy Beauvais, a fourth-generation artist from Kahnawake, Que. According to the statement, Beauvais incorporates the 鈥渦nique beauty鈥� of the symbols that represent the Iroquois people and aboriginal heritage and culture into her handmade pieces.
鈥淭he three small glass beads in the beaded flowers belonged to Tammy鈥檚 great grandmother which she was delighted to include in this unique piece,鈥� the statement said.
For Malia and Sasha Obama:
Maverick scarves by Ottawa designer Krista Norris. The scarves can be worn on top of a coat or 鈥済athered and pulled forward as a big wrapped scarf.鈥� Norris鈥� scarves are currently sold in 30 stores across North America.
And the Trudeaus didn鈥檛 forget about the First Dogs:
The Obamas鈥� dogs, Bo and Sunny, are receiving 鈥淢uttluks,鈥� all-weather dog boots by Marianne Bertrand.
Bertrand, who is the owner of the Muttluks company, received an award for her donation of more than 850 sets of boots to 300 search and rescue dogs that worked at Ground Zero in New York City in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.
