Indigenous makers market launches Saturday at Discovery Centre

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/10/2023 (702 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Indigenous artists from across Westman are gathering at the Riverbank Discovery Centre this Saturday to take part in the inaugural Gathering of Creations Indigenous makers market, hosted by Giiwe Media.

The market, which is free to attend, starts at 12 noon and runs until 4 p.m. inside the centre, where attendees will have the chance to support Indigenous artisans and learn from Indigenous storytellers, all while shopping local.

Aaron McKay, a Rolling River First Nation man who is the owner of Giiwe Media, an Indigenous-owned multimedia business dedicated to elevating the voices and history of Indigenous people throughout Canada, first got the idea for the event in the summer. Since then, he’s gotten in touch with various artists to make the event a reality, with 12 currently on the roster for attending.

“It’s of everything. There’ll be clothing, ribbon skirts, things like that. There will likely be some food that people can pick up,” McKay said.

Beyond Saturday’s event, McKay is looking forward to hosting another one in December, called the Gathering of Creations Christmas in the Park in Riding Mountain National Park, located 99 kilometres north of Brandon.

“It’ll be the same structure, where people will be able to come in, pick up a few Christmas gifts, buy Indigenous creations from people of different Indigenous cultural backgrounds,” he said.

A big part of both events is storytelling, something that is integral to Indigenous culture, McKay says. At Saturday’s event, there’s going to be three storytellers sharing their experiences and insight, including McKay himself.

“I’ll be talking about my artwork, my business, and my lived experiences,” he said. McKay’s sister Katherine, a sewing and beading artist, will also be speaking at the event. “We’ll have three half-hour slots where people who are shopping can come by and sit down in the multi-purpose room to just listen and hear some good stories.”

For the December market, which will take place at the Riding Mountain National Park’s Visitor Centre, McKay is hoping to incorporate live music.

An important takeaway from both markets is the importance of economic reconciliation – supporting Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs. It’s something that McKay hopes people learn more about going forward with truth and reconciliation.

“People can come for the market and check out the stories,” he said. “But for me, the main goal is that there’s learning that happens, and hopefully, the people who do come will leave with a sense of having gained something.”

» mleybourne@brandonsun.com

» X: @miraleybourne