Toronto is Canada’s most diverse city and hosts an abundance of unique Indigenous-owned businesses. Today is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. In honour of this special day, we highlight three Toronto-based Indigenous-owned businesses that offer their customers a unique look into Indigenous culture.
Pacha Indigenous Art Collection, located at 614 Bloor Street West, sells one-of-a kind goods, from clothing, hand-crafted jewelry and art to accessories. Each of those items tells a story about historic Indigenous history, homeland, and environment. Samay Arcentales Cajas runs the front–end of the business and made it her goal to, “allow people to realize that Indigenous people can thrive, and we are thriving, and we have a lot to offer. We exist and we’re not gone.”
An array of bright colours and patterns are featured in Pacha’s products to honour Indigenous culture, and though the use of texture and design, their art pieces express the feelings and emotions of the artists behind. Meet Pacha’s artists here.
Outlier Leather Co., another Indigenous-owned business, is located at 698 Coxwell Avenue and is specialized in leather bags, wallets, beadwork, unique apparel, and accessories. The company is owned and operated by David Spence, a Nisichawayasihk (Treaty 5) Cree man. All the products sold at the store are handcrafted by David and use high-quality materials from eco-conscious tanneries to make sure that they last a lifetime and are sustainable.
In addition to their leather goods, Outlier Leather Co. also sells beadwork made from real crystals such as their Clear Quartz & Amethyst pendant, their Quartz & Moonstone pendant, and their Peridot & Agate pendant. All pendants are hand-cut, sewn and beaded by Bernadette, David’s Mother. You can browse and shop for these quality items here.
With a 5-star ranking on Google reviews, Pow Wow café continues to wow guests with their creative brunch and drink menus. It offers contemporary Indigenous cuisine and is located at 213 Augusta Avenue. All the ingredients in the dishes served are Indigenous-sourced; their maple syrup is from Cape Croker, their wild rice from CurveLake, and their coffee from Birch Bark Coffee Company, an Indigenous-owned company. Their café is the only Indigenous-based restaurant in the Kensington Market area and is praised for its flavourful food, friendly service, and overall unique dishes.
The idea of an Indigenous-operated restaurant is even more beautiful considering the history and tradition behind the Indigenous food system. Land, air, water, soil, and different animal species sustained Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Based on the respect of the environment from where the food comes from, the system can be best described as ecological. The dishes that Pow Wow café serves are ethically-sourced and boast flavours and ingredients reminiscent of authentic Indigenous cuisine.
Toronto is a hub for diversity and is home to many unique Indigenous-owned businesses. Diversity, equity and inclusion being core values at LAT Multilingual & Marketing, we wanted to take a moment to highlight these inspiring businesses and showcase what they have to offer, so that you too can experience them. If you are ever in the Toronto area and are looking to learn more about Indigenous cuisine or goods, you should check out these truly Canadian businesses.
