5 of my Favourite Indigenous Owned Businesses & Creators
It’s no secret that over the last couple of years, a lot of Canadians have had their eyes opened to the atrocities that was the residential school system. Personally speaking, I am embarrassed to say that I didn’t truly know what happened, and how the last school only closed in 1996, and to put that into perspective, I was already born at this point, so it truly was not long ago at all. Learning all of this made me pause, reflect & take a step back from celebrating Canada Day in the ways I normally would have. So, instead of talking about celebrations, I want to take this July 1st to highlight five Indigenous owned businesses and Indigenous creators that I love following & learning more from.
No. 1
Shayla Stonechild
Following Shayla has been a true inspirational adventure. She’s the host & owner of a successful podcast & non-profit, Matriarch Movement created to amplify Indigenous voices & stories, the first Indigenous woman to be featured on the cover of yoga magazine, Yoga Journal, and additionally, the first Indigenous global brand ambassador for Lululemon. It’s been incredible to watch her breaking barriers - she’s truly a force to be reckoned with!
No. 2
Cheekbone Beauty
Cheekbone Beauty quickly became one of my favourite beauty brands after I placed an order with them on National Truth & Reconciliation Day in 2021. Not only are they Indigenous owned, but they are cruelty-free, vegan, sustainable & non-toxic, all very important things to me! Additionally, they were the first Indigenous owned beauty brand to be launched in Sephora Canada!
No. 3
Shina Novalinga
I originally came across Shina Novalinga from scrolling my for you page on TikTok, and following along with her has been so educational. She is an Inuk woman who shares the traditional foods, clothing, throat-singing, legends and much more of the Inuit people. I can honestly say I’ve learned so much about the culture & practices of the Inuit from her, and thoroughly enjoy seeing her content show up on both Instagram & TikTok as I always learn something new.
No. 4
Hawkmoth Bead Co.
I learned about Hawkmoth Bead Co. last year from one of Jillian Harris’ blog posts, and instantly was in awe of how gorgeous their earrings are. The owners, Eden & Michael, as well as Eden’s mother are the artists behind these gorgeous pieces. They are so popular in fact, there’s a waitlist for their pieces & is currently full!
No. 5
Sḵwálwen Botanicals
Another Indigenous owned business I learned about from Jillian Harris is Skwálwen Botanicals! I got my first product from Sḵwálwen Botanicals in the Spring 2022 Jilly Box, which was the Kalkáy salve and it’s easily become one of my favourite products to use when my hands are dry. I always get really dry skin in the winter due to a lot of handwashing, and this was one of the only products that helped my skin get back to normal!
There are so, so many inspirational Indigenous owned businesses & content creators out there, but these just a small handful of my favourites. I’ve also created a new section on my shop page dedicated to Indigenous owned businesses & Indigenous made products, and not a single link is a commissionable link, so I make nothing off of your purchase of these items. It may live under the seasonal tab, but it’s always going to be there going forward. Check out the shop here! Additionally, I want to add a link to the IRSSS. If you can, please consider making a donation to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society this July 1st. I know as a settler on traditional Indigenous lands, I have a lot of learning & work to do, and I will never be perfect, but we’ve all got to start somewhere.
