Simon Tookoome was born and raised in Birch River in the far north and has been carving and printing since the late 1960's. He is a self-taught Inuit artist and was the founding member of the Baker Lake printshop in Nunavat.

Simon is the author, with Sheldon Oberman, of the children's book The Shaman's Apprentice Nephew, which won the $10,000 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-fiction in 2000. This autobiographical book deals with his youthful experiences raised in the traditional Inuit way of life.

In addition to being an accomplished artist, Tookoome is renowned as a master whipper.