Indigenous Gift Giving Guide – Arts, Crafts and Fashion

Start holiday planning early and check off your whole list with special gifts crafted with love and skill by Indigenous artisans and artists from across Canada. From hand-carved paddles, swirling capes and cozy moccasins to funky homewares and statement jewelry, you’ll find the perfect gift for everyone on your shopping list this holiday season with our carefully curated collection of Indigenous fashion, art and crafts.

Ay Lelum (BC)

Engage with Coast Salish style through Ay Lelum – Good House of Design’s cutting-edge collection with their new line of wearable art. Ay Lelum’s AW2020 collection focuses on Coast Salish Culture by featuring Spindle Whorls as a representation of the women behind them: universal mothers, life-givers, water carriers and weavers of life. From capes and jackets to dresses, sweaters and masks, give the gift of style this season with Ay Lelum. 

I-Hos Gallery (BC)

Located on the original site of the K’ómoks village between Courtenay and Comox on Vancouver Island, I-Hos Gallery works directly with First Nations artists to provide a showcase for their beautiful artwork.  

Specializing in both traditional and contemporary Northwest Coast First Nations artworks, including masks, fashion, prints, gold and silver jewelry, carvings and more, I-Hos Gallery is a one-stop-shop for lovers of the distinctive Northwest Coastal Indigenous style.

YFN Arts (YT)

Look good and feel good when you support Whitehorse-based YFN Arts, a non-profit organization committed to growing and promoting the vibrant and sustainable arts and Culture of Yukon First Nations. Browse tempting trinkets in their online store such as cozy hand-stitched and beaded moccasins by Nlaka’pumux artist, Lisa Dewhurst, created with tanned moose hide, beaver fur, seed and glass-cut beads and sinew thread. Or splurge and invest in a piece from Kaska artist Dennis Shorty, such as a delicate moose antler-carved Arctic Grayling, adorned with a fine copper stand.

Manitobah Mukluks (MB)

Manitobah Mukluks is an Indigenous-owned company, with a vision to build a vibrant, global brand that makes a significant impact in Indigenous communities. The mukluk is one of the original winter boots in Canada and has been known for generations as the warmest winter boot in the world. Manitobah Mukluks carries winter boots, moccasins, slippers and accessories for your entire family, the perfect way to send the gift of cozy warmth when distance separates us.

Aurora Heat (NWT)

Located in Fort Smith, NT, Aurora Heat produces handmade and wonderfully luxurious hand, foot and body warmers made from sustainably harvested sheared beaver fur. Breathable, reusable, velvety-soft and naturally sourced, Aurora Heat’s products effectively use your own body heat to keep you warm. Eco-smart with a dash of practical luxury! 

Atikuss (QC)

Custom order your very own pair of Hopeboots from Quebec’s Atikuss boutique and walk tall and warm through the seasons, your feet snugly clad in hand-stitched mukluks. The Hopeboots project was launched by Innu businesswoman Josée Leblanc, with the goal of enabling Indigenous women to make a decent living from their skills and labour, after she discovered that many Indigenous artisans rarely earned more than $4 an hour. Each pair ordered doesn’t just help to financially support Indigenous creators, it also helps reconnect them with their Culture. Timeless, trendy, and truly unique.

Slippers N Things (NL)

Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Labrador is home to the province’s largest Indigenous population of Innu, Inuit and Métis. Artistic inspiration abounds in this small community at the confluence of the Churchill River and Lake Melville.

Spoil yourself (or lucky friends and family) with Indigenous-created treasures from the family-owned ‘Slippers N Things’ craft gallery. Browse traditional hide, sealskin and duffle slippers, mitts and hats lovingly made by local artists, or start a new fascination with critically acclaimed carver, Dale Ford.

Onquata (QC)

Born from the inspiration of Lise and Lara, a Wendat mother-daughter duo, the Onquata company is renowned for its hand-painted paddles inspired by their Ancestors and their First Nations Culture. Handmade in Wendake, each paddle is custom hand-painted and made to order. Paddles can be purely decorative and are available in different formats, but they also retain their traditional purpose and can be adapted for use on the water. 

Wanuskewin Gift Shop (SK) 

From homewares and apparel to art, jewellery and kids’ gifts, Saskatoon’s Wanuskewin Gift Shop keeps tradition and Culture at the heart of everything they do. Offering something for absolutely everyone, the gift shop supports their featured artisans with fair compensation which allows them to keep Traditions alive and help continue to inspire future generations of artists. Give a gift that inspires!

Moonstone Creation (AB)

Moonstone Creation is a truly unique Indigenous Art Gallery, where the majority of the items are made right in the store. Moonstone Creation began with just a handful of artists and has now grown to represent over 50 Indigenous artists primarily from Western Canada. Moonstone Creation promotes traditional art in local schools and corporations and offers in-house workshops on everything from beading to fish-scale art. Specializing in authentic moose hide pouches, moccasins, business card holders, purses, custom jackets, and jewelry, Moonstone Creations has something special for everybody on your list.

Carvings Nunavut (NU)

Carvings Nunavut is a 100 % Inuit-owned gallery, with one of the world’s largest inventory of authentic Inuit art. Based in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and owned by Inuit entrepreneur Lori Idlout, the gallery works closely with its artists offering them support to have the proper tools, protection and stone they need to create their work. A homegrown Inuit success story and a global leader in Inuit art, you can buy with confidence, no matter where you are in the world, as each of their precious pieces is safely packed in its own foam mould before shipping.

Tribal Trade Co (ON)

On a mission to connect tribal people— Indigenous or non-Indigenous— as they continue to learn and celebrate their connection to their heritage, Tribal Trade Co., located in the Ojibway Territory of Curve Lake First Nation wants to encourage people to learn and celebrate their heritage. Along with Cultural teachings, Tribal Trade Co. also has a wide variety of Indigenous clothing, shoes and accessories which make thoughtful gifts for the tribal person in your life.

This year share one-of-a-kind memorable gifts with those special people on your list.

For further inspiration, check out our Buy Authentic Map for a list of Indigenous businesses across Canada, where you’ll be sure to find something unique for everyone!