Shauna Fontaine remembers falling in love with beading like it was yesterday. She started crafting when she was 13 years old—learning to sew with sequins and artificial flowers from her aunties and grandmother.
“We grew up in poverty and we didn't really have a lot of things; we often were displaced, and didn’t have a lot of food in the house,” Shauna said. “But one time, my mother got a little bit of extra money, and she took me and my sister to the bead store.”
The employee at the bead store showed Shauna and her sister a few tricks to help them get started with beading.
“I just fell in love with it,” Shauna said. “And then people kept giving me supplies and gifts of beads all through my teenage years. And I just kind of stuck with it.”
Shauna continued to bead into early adulthood, gifting her creations to her friends and family.
“I was in my early 20s when I realized people really liked my stuff and wanted to buy it,” Shauna said. “So, I started selling it.”
Shauna worked in social justice for political and Indigenous organizations throughout her career.
“It was really heavy work,” Shauna said. “And so, often I would go home, and I would spend time beading, crafting, and that was my therapy, my self-care.”
25 years later, Shauna still loves beading and crafting and has been selling her stunning earrings which she describes as “urban boujee chic” under the name Anishinaabe Girl Designs.
“When people tell me, ‘I have so many of your earrings and I get compliments all the time!’ That makes me feel good, and not because ‘oh, I'm so great at earrings,’” Shauna said. “It makes me feel good because I know that when that person is wearing them, a piece of my healing went into that art and is boosting confidence in them.”
Shauna started selling her pieces at farmers’ markets, small craft shows, and a few retail stores, but it wasn’t easy. Despite applying for as many as she could, she was denied entry much more frequently than she was accepted.
“I was finding it was really hard for me as an Indigenous maker to access spaces to sell my goods,” Shauna said. “So then as I was growing and growing over the last 10 years, I really started to get to know other Indigenous makers and found we were all sharing the same experiences.”
Other makers in the community started asking Shauna for advice, as they too were finding it difficult to access these critical spaces as Indigenous creators to sell their wares.
“I had a little bit more of an in-depth display, more product, and a little bit more of an established name for myself and I was struggling,” Shuana said. “So, I knew it was a struggle for others too.”
Manitoba’s Indigenous population is 18.1%, and Winnipeg alone has an Indigenous population of 102,080, the largest of all Canadian metropolitan areas.
“The Indigenous population in Manitoba is close to 20% and you don't see 20% representation at most craft shows or in local handmade stores,” Shauna said. “You’re lucky if you see 5%.”
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people started crafting to pass the time, make some extra income, connect with others, and learn about their own heritage and cultures.
“It was like this reclamation of culture and art and business, because we as Indigenous people always had an economy,” Shauna said. “Whether that be beadwork, or sewing, or working with leather, or trading food. I recognized that if we can't get into these markets, and now there's an explosion of Indigenous offerings and artisans, where are we going to go?”
Shauna discussed frequently with other Indigenous makers the difficulties of competing with non-Indigenous people who import goods claiming to be Indigenous, and the harms of cultural appropriation. They started entertaining the idea of starting their own 100% Indigenous market, and in 2022, Pitâw Mīno Muskîkî was born.
Meaning “brings good medicine,” Pitâw Mīno Muskîkî was founded by Anishinaabe Girl, Blackwolf Dog, and Mashkiki Garden Creations.
“We did our first one in a community centre, and there was a line-up at the door before we opened,” Shauna said. “I think it was because people put trust in us.”
Quickly adapting to the high demand, Shauna partnered with Union Station, which now hosts the markets which prioritize Indigenous women, gender-diverse, and youth makers.
“Indigenous art is not just what you produce with your hands,” Shuana said. “it's the musicians, dancers, literature, and even DJs. Art is beyond just what you're actually producing, so we wanted to make space for that.”
Part of that philosophy and what makes the Pitâw Mīno Muskîkî markets so popular, is inclusion. Each market has a Kids Corner, where Kisa MacIsaac runs painting workshops so kids can bring something home with them too.
“We never leave the children out,” Shauna said. “They are the heart of our community, and we want them to see these thriving opportunities that exist for them.”
The first market saw about 50 makers, and each market since has had 90 to 100. The upcoming Winter Market—which will be 3 days instead of the usual 1-and-a-half days—has over 100 applicants with 40 more on a waitlist.
“In Indigenous community, we always see each other as support, and we work together,” Shauna said. “So, I really knew that when I opened up a store, that store needs to celebrate Indigenous artistry.”
Shauna’s biggest dream for 25 years had been to open a storefront to sell her jewelry, and she consistently researched available spaces and participated in workshops like the Business Plan Development Workshop, and Strength in Community Workshops program at WeMB to make it a reality.
“I decided if I really wanted to do this, I needed a business plan!” Shauna said. “And I've written millions of proposals for all the organizations I've worked for, but trying to write for myself felt very scary. So, I took the [WeMB] course, and it was really helpful.”
In addition to Shauna’s own creations, Anishinaabe Girl Boutique features handmade products including art, jewelry, fashion, body care, home décor, and beyond from other Indigenous makers and artists.
“I just have this huge love and appreciation for [other makers] and what they do and the struggle of it,” Shauna said. “And I feel like I'm constantly advocating on their behalf and advocating against cultural appropriation, and it weighs heavy on my heart because it does not support Indigenous economy. Especially around Call to Action 92, so that hurts me. But when makers and artists come to me and thank me for speaking out, that's when I go, ‘Okay, I'm doing something that's not about me—it's about strength, and community, and the revitalization of it.’”
Shauna hopes to continue to encourage people to support the local Indigenous economy with her store and to grow her reach with corporate and non-profit businesses who are consistently looking to shop local for gift packages.
“I get a lot of non-Indigenous people who come shop here and come to our markets, and the education part of that is why we're doing this—we want to be seen, we want to be celebrated,” Shauna said. “Because there was the idea that Indigenous artistry was going to disappear, and it was banned. This art was banned and prevented from occurring. And now, it’s like, ‘Hey, we're still here and we're stronger than ever.’”
Visit Anishinaabe Girl Boutique at 165 Lilac Street Tuesday – Sunday, and do some holiday shopping at the Pitâw Mīno Muskîkî Indigenous Handmade Winter Market from December 13 to 15 at 123 Main Street (Via Rail Union Station).