Our Latest 

Women in Business NB Presents: Indigenous Pop-Up Shop

Guinevere Santaguida , , , , ,
Skoden Hair Ties is an Indigenous-owned hair tie company that has been open since the start of the pandemic. Each scrunchie seen here takes only three minutes to create. (Guinevere Santaguida/STU)

Indigenous artisans from across New Brunswick were featured in a Pop-Up Shop at the Fredericton Inn. This was the first sale of its kind, aiming to showcase female Indigenous artisanship across the province.

Nujintuisga’tijig E’pijig, meaning ‘weaving our entrepreneurial spirits together’ in Mi’kmaq, is an organization that started at the beginning of the pandemic. Indigenous communities could no longer hold Powwows and had to come up with different ways to stay connected. Nujintuisga’tijig E’pijig was created to fill that need and create an online platform for female Indigenous artisans to register and sell their art.

The hands of Ursula Bear from Tobique First Nation, who owns The Bear Necessities, and sells homemade canned goods and crafts. (Guinevere Santaguida/STU)

Together with Women in Business New Brunswick and the Atlantic Canadian Women in Growth Partnership, Nujintuisga’tijig E’pijig was able to host their first ever in-person event. Over fifteen artists were there to showcase and sell their work. The sale was well attended by Indigenous folks as well as non-Indigenous members of the Fredericton community.

Indigenous vendors and small business owners from across the province gathered for the first time at the Fredericton Inn. (Guinevere Santaguida/STU)

Many of the artists had similar stories of having been taught sewing and beading from a young age, and have been creating works of art for over twenty years. However, some artists, such as Ursula Bear from Tobique First Nation, learned new crafts during the pandemic. Bear started keeping bees in 2020 and has since started making candles from the beeswax.

Artist Ashley Sanipass explains that much of the traditional Indigenous beading is done on moose and leather hides. (Guinevere Santaguida/STU)

Skoden Hair Ties is another female and Indigenous-owned small business that was started during the pandemic and was at the Pop-Up Shop. Skoden focuses on hair accessories and cozy apparel, which are all handmade in Pilick First Nation. Shayna Boudreau started the business and said her grandmother taught her how to sew when she was young and has been sewing her whole life. At the start of the pandemic when she started selling hair ties she said it would take her up to twenty-five minutes to complete one, now she says it takes her only three minutes. She sells her product individually and in bulk and has received orders from across the country.

Another business that attended the sale was the St. Mary’s First Nation consignment store called Sacred Arts. Laurie Bottschen, the manager of the store, said that she was excited about the opportunity to finally meet some of the other artisans registered with Nujintuisga’tijig E’pijig in person for the first time.

Tara Francis sells silk scarves with Mi’kmaq petroglyphs and iconography reading “strong Mi’kmaw women”. (Guinevere Santaguida/STU)

Tara Francis a Mi’kmaq artist from Elsipogtog First Nation, brought her silk scarves as well as some other decorative art pieces. Her art is created with beading and a technique where she burns pieces of wood to create images of animals. Francis considers herself a contemporary artist influenced by traditional techniques and teachings. Her work is featured in the Gallery On Queen in Fredericton, all year long, but she was excited to be a part of this Pop-Up Shop.

Daughter’s Flame is an Indigenous and women-led candle business from the Pabineau First Nation. (Guinevere Santaguida/STU)

Organizers are hoping to host more sales in the future to continue to showcase the female Indigenous talent in New Brunswick.