b'INDIGENOUS STOREFRONTSCreating that something real wasntthe ByWard Market. A Mtis entre- to bring in more Northern voicesalways easy, and Cooper says accessingpreneur originally from Fishing Lakeespecially artists from the Northwest insurance has been a particularly majorMtis Settlement in Alberta, FayantTerritories, Fayant shares. Theres so hurdle. It took us a year and a halfco-foundedAssemblyofSevenmuch incredible work coming from the to find coverage that would acceptGenerations(A7G),agrassrootsNorth. caribou tufting and smoked Indigenous artists and products, heyouth collective. From that emergedhides and a lot of it doesnt always notes, adding, The system isnt builtAdaawewigamig, a storefront andmake it down here.for us. social enterprise rooted in kinship and community. BEYOND BUSINESS Many of the items sold at WachiyaSean Rayland-Boubar knows what are sourced directly from IndigenousWe started in a small room at theit means to start over. Founder of makers, and Cooper too sees the storeBronson Centre, trading beadworkWinnipeg-based Red Rebel Armour, as both a marketplace and a meetingand moosehide. Now were the firstRayland-Boubar lived the story most place. Theres something powerfulIndigenous store in the ByWard Marketpeople try to escape. Formerly incar-about someone walking in off the streetin over 100 years, says Fayant. Thatscerated, now a leader in helping and realizing how much Indigenousnot just retailits history. others reintegrate into society, he innovation exists today, he says. Wereturnedstreetwearintoasecond not stuck in the past; were buildingThe shift to one of Canadas mostchance for himself and for others the future. tourist-heavy districts hasnt comenavigating the same uphill road. His without its challenges. Tourists wantdesigns dont just make a statement. For many, that future isnt just aboutsouvenirs. But we dont sell cheapThey make space.economic growth, its about stitchingsouvenirswe sell meaning, Fayant together something deeper. Healingsays. So we started offering walkingRed Rebel Armour sells bold, cultur-through fashion. Belonging throughtours downtown, showing the real story.ally grounded designs blending Cree employment. A future where identityReconciliation, not retail therapy. syllabics, powerful slogans and West and industry walk hand in hand. ForCoast aesthetics. The brands name Cooper, the storefront is a living expres- Fayantandherteamcurateandhonours both resistance and survival, sion of that continuity. Weve alwaysmanagegoodsfromIndigenousand its storefront is more than just a had trade, exchange, physical spaces toartists, host pop-up markets, and areplace to shop, its a space of transfor-gather, he says. This is just the modernplanning a 60-vendor block party andmation. For a lot of people, walking version of that. fashion show this coming summer. Sheinto our store is the first time theyve says the success of Adaawewigamigseen their own stories reflected in Yeah, its harder, he admits. But itcomes from trust, collective investment,fashion, Rayland-Boubar says. Its also means more conversations, moreand cultural continuity. Weve alwaysmedicine. Its a reminder that were connection, and more impact. had places of trade and gathering,still here, still creating, still worthy.she explains. RECLAIMING SPACERayland-Boubar, who is Anishinaabe, In Ottawa, Gabrielle Fayant brings aAsforwhatsupcomingforsays having a physical space also mix of hustle, humour and heart toAdaawewigamig? Were really excitedopensthedoortoemployment, mentorship and deeper connection. Were able to offer jobs to people in our community, he says. Were ADAAWEWIGAMIG building up our own peopleand you cant always do that from behind a screen.However, there are challenges that come with having a storefront in downtown Winnipeg, including the cost of overhead and accessing grant programs. There are grants, sure but theyre limited, competitive, and not always designed with us in mind, Rayland-Boubar says. Procurement? Still a huge gap. Were often the last to be considered and the first to be told were too small. Sometimes you feel like youre fighting on every front just to keep the doors open. Navigatingthesesystemsoften requiresresourcesmostsmall 40A CCIB PUBLICATIONSummer 2025'