David Charette handmade eight pairs of earrings from start to finish in three days this week to prepare for the launch of Indigenous Markets’s first event.
The Black Friday market, which took place inside the C.D. Howe Building in downtown Ottawa on Friday, featured more than 20 Indigenous vendors from across the country.
Charette, who sells beaded jewelry, originates from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory in Manitoulin Island. He said he has been bead-working with his sister since he was 13 years old. Together, they launched the David Whitedeer brand and sell their earrings in markets across the city.
He noted that the colours and designs he chooses for his work come from the inspiration of outfits he encountered in pow-wow dancing when he was a kid. Charette added that dancing is a lifestyle and is one that he embraces.
“You get trained for it during the wintertime, and then the summertime comes and there’s pow-wows back-to-back every weekend,” he said.
A few booths down was Marissa Dubé’s display. Dubé, who co-founded Indigenous Markets and is also a vendor, said she met her business partners at the Adaawe Indigenous Hub, an organization for Indigenous entrepreneurs.
“We wanted to provide a higher-end experience for Indigenous Markets and be able to provide vendors with free opportunities,” she said. “We get sponsors to pay for the full event so that everyone does not pay for their tables.”
Through providing merchants with financially-accessible opportunities, Indigenous Markets is complementing its vision to “provide a unique retail experience that highlights Indigenous art, culture and traditions – while at the same time working towards our collective goal to Indigenize Colonial Spaces.”
Dubé highlighted Eiralize Dreams, her dream catcher and bracelet company. Self-taught and with familial links to both the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Algonquin and Kahnawake Mohawk territory, Dubé described the intricate webbing done on dream catchers.
“Traditionally, dream catchers were made to filter out the bad dreams. You would have them above your bed and the bad dreams will get lost in the webbing, which is why it’s so intricate,” she said. She added that the purpose of the feathers is so that good dreams and thoughts trickle down onto people as they sleep.
Tierney Kist heard about the event from a vendor she follows on Instagram, Quality Quills. Kist came out to the market to see what other Indigenous vendors would be selling.
“I think it’s really nice to have something that showcases Indigenous peoples specifically,” she said. “They have so many beautiful things to offer and [it’s] really special that people are able to come and appreciate it in this kind of capacity.”
Kist said she is a huge fan of beaded earrings, so she was on the lookout for a pair for herself and also searching for a few gifts as the holiday season shopping begins.
Charette added he likes the environment of the market as “it brings people together” and allows artisans from different communities to come together. He added he hopes to be a part of Indigenous Markets for a long time.
