Indigenous gifts for your holiday shopping list

If you're tired of shopping malls and big box stores, or if you want the real deal and not a cultural knock-off, we have a holiday wish list for you.

What follows are some gift ideas from indigenous-owned and operated online stores offering traditional and contemporary aboriginal gift ideas — from diverse and established artists and up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

Canard Blanc

Métis/Mohawk/Colombian artisan Pol Carlos is the lead designer at Canard Blanc Creations, which offers affordable silver and bone necklaces that make great stocking stuffers.

​Hand of Solomon

​Louise Solomon is an Ojibway jewelry designer and goldsmith who brings large-scale sculptures into wearable forms of art. For the person who has everything, consider an N8IV ring set.

Himwitsa Native Art Gallery

Enter the Himwitsa Art Gallery and view some of the worlds’ most sought after and award-winning fairly traded West Coast masks, carvings and jewelry. For the art lover and adventurer, each creation has a story to tell.

Kitigan

Kitigan is an Ojibway word meaning garden. On offer is a range of Earth-drawn traditional arts products such as quill boxes and ribbon shirt dolls. Perfect for the specialty craft and art lover or a special one-of-a kind gift for young adults.

Northern Images

Traditional Inuit art captures the beauty, truth and spirit of Canada’s Arctic. Northern Images features sculptures, prints and wall hangings that bring iconic northern symbolism and unique perspective to home decor.

Silver Moccasin

Silver Moccasin designs are made in Canada by aboriginal-owned companies. They make a great gift for anyone, but are especially popular with teens and hipsters.

Voilà by Andréanne

​For Métis fashion designer Andréanne Dandeneau, combining comfort with quality and function is essential. Dandeneau incorporates organic, sustainable and fair-traded materials in her clothing line, which includes bamboo fleece lined leggings for the fitness and lounging queens. 

Jonathan Potskin is Cree from the Sawridge First Nation and is Métis​ from Alberta. His passion for making the world a better place is shown through his work within different indigenous organizations across Canada and in Australia. 

Rebeka Tabonbondung is the editor of MUSKRAT magazine. She is also a community documentary filmmaker, poet and indigenous knowledge researcher.