The logo of Nujintuisga'tijig E'pijig was created by Wolostoqiyik artist Natalie Sappier-Samaqani Cocahq. Image: WBNB
With powwows cancelled because of Covid, Indigenous crafters and makers have not only lost important events for socializing and exchanging ideas but also a place to sell their products.
With this in mind, Women in Business New Brunswick (WBNB) has launched Nujintuisga’tijig E’pijig, a free online platform where Indigenous women entrepreneurs, vendors and artisans can sell their traditional products, crafts and artworks.
WBNB is hoping the platform, exclusive to the province’s Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqey communities, will help the women grow their revenue as they can sell year-round. The platform also gives them exposure nationally and internationally.
While it’s difficult to recreate the joyful emotions of being with the community at real-life pow wows, Natasha Martin-Mitchell, WBNB’s development office for Indigenous women entrepreneurs, hopes the website will still help.
“Those things you can’t get [online], but we had to try to figure out a way to help our women. So creating this platform was one way,” she said. “We have all kinds of different products that are on the platform right now…beadwork, earrings, medallions, quillwork, services for an image consultant; we have all kinds of different things.”
Martin-Mitchell, a Mi’kmaw herself, said the idea for an online platform came from responses that she got after asking her network about what they need. Most said they need a virtual place to sell products.
Before the pandemic hit, these vendors and artisans typically toured New Brunswick’s 16 First Nations communities during annual summer powwows to sell their products and services. Those events were also times when they can introduce their work to potential customers. The cancellations have led to revenue loss for them.
On the website, the artisans have a short bio, a photograph of themselves, and their social media handles, so potential customers can get to know their story.
The name Nujintuisga’tijig E’pijig means “Indigenous women salespeople or vendors.” It was chosen after a consultation with Mi’kmaq speakers. Martin-Mitchell says it’s important that the platform’s name is in a local Indigenous language.
“As a Mi’kmaq woman, I realize the importance and urgency to preserve our languages. I myself want to learn as many Mi’kmaq words and sentences as possible with the hopes of one day being a fluent speaker,” she said.
The platform currently features 14 entrepreneurs, while a total of 25 are registered and in the process of placing their products online. It has the capacity for 30 vendors in total in the current phase.
Makers interested in using the platform can register on the Nujintuisga’tijig E’pijig site.
Now that the website is launched, Martin-Mitchell will deliver online workshops to help the women with product photography, product descriptions, and other things they may need to showcase their work.
The first workshop will begin next week. Those interested can register on the WBNB website.
WBNB also has online networking events called Mawiomi for Indigenous women entrepreneurs.
With all programming now done online, Martin-Mitchell said there hasn’t been a connectivity issue so far.
“But there’s some communities where I know that there’s elders that have been working on their crafts and they’re not technologically advanced. So, talking to them about putting their products on the website, it could be foreign to them,” she said.
Martin-Mitchell said she used to visit their communities to help them. But with much of the province now under stricter pandemic rules, she said she’s open to walking them through the process over the phone, or to speak with family members who can help them.
“I just hope that this website helps promote our Indigenous women here in New Brunswick. We have fantastic artists and crafters, and we need to showcase that and highlight them,” she said.
Inda Intiar is a reporter for Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
