Winnie was born west of the Back River area, but grew up there, knowing the traditional, migratory life on the land. She and her family moved to Baker Lake around 1968, so her children could attend school.

Winnie began creating wallhangings around 1965, while still living on the land, and continued making them in Baker Lake. In this way, she was one of the first wallhanging artists. Her skillful sewing techniques reveal unique stitch-work peculiar to her work alone.* 

Although she is known primarily for her colourful wallhangings, Winnie has also produced some carvings and drawings, some of which have been made into prints. Winnie's daughter Hattie Umirulik Mannik is a print-artist in Baker Lake.

*David A. Penney, "Northern Lights: Inuit Textile Art from the Canadian Arctic", The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1994, page 49

Exhibitions

• Arctic Mystery, Harmony and Transformation Baker Lake Textile Art, Art Gallery of the Canadian Embassy organized by Arctic Inuit Art
• Arctic Wallhangings, Albers Gallery
• Baker Lake - Drawings, Sculpture, Tapestries, Theo Waddington
• Baker Lake Arts - Prints, Sculpture, Wallhangings, Playhouse Gallery
• Baker Lake Print Collection *70, (annual collection)
• Baker Lake Print Retrospective: A Twenty Year Anniversary, The Upstairs Gallery
• Baker Lake Prints - Ten Year Retrospective, The Upstairs Gallery
• Baker Lake Wallhangings 1976, The Guild Shop
• Baker Lake Wallhangings 1979, Gallery Phillip
• Baker Lake Wallhangings 1979, Vancouver Art Gallery
• Baker Lake Wallhangings 1980, Snow Goose Associates
• Baker Lake Wallhangings 1980, Collector's Choice
• Baker Lake Wallhangings 1980, Kaiser House Gallery
• Baker Lake Wallhangings 1980, Gallery 10
• Baker Lake Wallhangings 1980, Elca London Studio
• Crafts from Arctic Canada/Artisanat de l'arctique canadien, Canadian Eskimo Arts Council
• Embroidered and Appliqued Wallhangings from Baker Lake, The Innuit Gallery of Eskimo Art
• Eskimo Carvers of Keewatin, N.W.T., Winnipeg Art Gallery
• Eskimo Games: Graphics and Sculpture/ Giuochi Eschimesi: grafiche e sculture, National Gallery of Modern Art
• Eskimo Wallhangings, McIntosh Gallery, University of Western Ontario
• Exhibition of Inuit Art, Harbourfront Centre organized by the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph
• Games of the Inuit, Northern Images
• Inuit Art from the Canadian Arctic, Bayly Art Museum University of Virginia
• Inuit Games and Contests: The Clifford E. Lee Collection of Prints, University of Alberta
• Inuit Games/Inuit Pinguangit/Jeux des inuit, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
• Keewatin District Wallhangings 1980, Collector's Choice
• Keewatin Wallhangings 1979-1981, Canadian Arctic Producers Ltd.
• Noel au Chateau - Art inuit de la collection Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Macdonald Stewart Art Centre Guelph, Ontario presented at Chateau Dufresne
• Northern Lights: Inuit Textile Art from the Canadian Arctic, Baltimore Museum of Art
• Spirits and Dreams - Arts of the Inuit of Baker Lake, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
• The Beat of the Drum, The Arctic Circle
• Winnie Tatya Wallhangings, The Upstairs Gallery
• Women of the North: An Exhibition of art by Inuit Women of the Canadian Arctic, Marion Scott Gallery

Collections

• Amway Environmental Foundation Collection, Ada
• Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull
• Clifford E. Lee Collection, University of Alberta, Edmonton
• Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton
• Inuit Cultural Institute, Rankin Inlet
• Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph
• National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
• Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife
• University of Alberta, Edmonton
• Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg

Publications

• A COLLECTOR'S POINT OF VIEW., Author: Harris, James, Publication: New York, N.Y. : ARTS AND CULTURE OF THE NORTH 1(1):2, November. (1976)
• ALASKA AND NATIVE ARTS, 1981., Author: Barz, Sandra B., Publication: ARTS AND CULTURE OF THE NORTH 5(3):345-350, SUMMER (1981)
• BAFFIN ISLAND., Author: Winnipeg Art Gallery, Publication: Winnipeg: The Winnipeg Art Gallery. (1983)
• HOLMAN ESKIMO PRINTS 1988 = ESTAMPS, Author: Holman Eskimo Co-operative Ltd., Publication: Holman Island: Holman Eskimo Co-operative Ltd. (1988)
• NASKAPI 77 — An Exhibition of Traditional Crafts of the Naskapi, Author: Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec, Publication: Schefferville, Quebec: Naskapi Band Council (1977)
• STUDY OF PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE REMEDIES CONCERNING IMPORTED NATIVE AMERICAN-STYLE JEWELRY AND ... — Report to the congress from the Department of Commerce, Author: U.S. Department of Commerce, Publication: Washington: U.S. Department of Commerce (1985)
• THE ANDY WARHOL COLLECTION OF AMERICAN INDIAN ART, Author: Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc., Publication: New York: Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc. (1988)