3 Indigenous-owned businesses to support in Calgary this Indigenous history month
By Riggs Zyrille Vergara, Publishing Editor
With June as the designated National Indiegnous History Month, it’s the perfect time to actively make actions and create efforts to recognize and celebrate the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis people of Canada. One of the simplest ways to do that is to support Indigenous-owned businesses and destinations.
Moonstone Creation
Moonstone Creation is a family-run Indigenous-owned business that specializes in one-of-a-kind handmade pieces such as beadworks, paintings, leatherwork, sculptures, jewellery, apparel, ceromonial drums and more. The products are created by the different members of Yvonne Jobin’s family as well as from the works of more than 60 Indigenous artists.
Known as a hub for Indigneous artists in Inglewood, Moonstone Creation offers kits with easy-to-follow instructions if people want to make their own unique art pieces. They also organize online or in-person classes, group workshops and customized programs to fit everyone’s needs and create a space to explore and learn about Indigenous art.
Mystical Metis
Samaria Nancy Cardinal, an artist from the Metis Nation with ancestry of Metis, Blackfoot and Norwegian began Mystical Metis as a service-based business but it now considers itself as southern Alberta’s Metis sash central.
But Mystical Metis offers a variety of products aside from sashes, they make clothing, greeting cards, jewelry, bags, accessories and more. Cardinal found that there aren’t a lot of establishments who offer “beautiful high-quality Indigenous artist-designed items that were priced appropriately.”
Cardinal is also someone who offers public speaking engagements on spirituality, motivation, overcoming, addiction, mental health and homelessness. Her experience and expertise on these topics come from the trauma she’s had growing up. And to heal herself, Cardinal “learned many different healing modalities and turned back to her Indigenous culture and traditions.”
Many Chief Tours
If what you’re looking for is an experience instead of a product, then you should try out the walking tours around Calgary from Many Chief Tours. Tarra Wright Many Chief, the guide and owner of the tours, specialize in authentich Indigenous and eco-tourism experiences at culturally significant areas for the Blackfoot people.
Every Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they offer the Mohkinstsis Tour which lets people walk around St. Patrick’s Island while learning about the lives of Blackfoot people before and after contact and how they have become resilient people who have overcome many colonial challenges through the years.
The Mohkinstsis tour runs from 90 to 120 minutes with an opportunity to talk to local Indigenous people in an outdoor nature setting optimized for open and welcoming conversations.
Another tour which lets people see wonderful views of the city is the Siksikaitsitapi Medicine Wheel Tour at Nose Hill Park. Not only will people get to enjoy the Calgary skyline from the top of the hill but they will also get to learn and locate the plants that were vital to the Blackfoot way of life.
Although June is about to end, our support for the Indigenous people should not. Sincere support to the Indigenous people is a consistent act of listening to them and seeing them. Indigenous people have gone through so much through the years, and learning and connecting with them not only diminishes the stigma, it helps them thrive. It helps us connect with them and ourselves on a deeper level we may have never known we can achieve.
