b'COVER STORYBLAZINGBy Gavin JohnANEW TRAIL p C h A a n i i n C E OI n the Ojibwe language, , or aaniin, is a common greeting, a hello, but its direct translation represents a more beautiful exchange: I see your light. Today, e l s e e P e t t i taaniin is also the name of a successful Indigenous clothing brand and retail business founded by Chelsee Pettit, a woman with unstoppable determination i o n e e r s a n e wwhen it comes to reclaiming the Indigenous economy. With her business, Pettit is committed to rectifying the exclusion of Indigenous presence in retail fashion a n d s u c c e s s f u land making space for others like her. r e t a i l c o n c e p t :Interestingly, Pettits business journey started with a triangle. In 2021, she was a m u l t i - b r a n dwalking through the crowds of downtown Toronto when she spotted someone in the distance wearing something that looked like Indigenous syllabics on their shirt. I n d i g e n o u sIt was a positive moment. I was just so excited to see Indigenous languages being represented in downtown Toronto, recalls Pettit, a member of the Aamjiwnaang p o p - u p s t o r e First Nation on the St. Clair River in Ontario.16A CCIB PUBLICATIONSummer 2025'