A first-of-its-kind retail experience has arrived at Upper Canada Mall, and it promises to provide local shoppers with a place and space to immerse themselves in Indigenous culture.
Manitobah Mukluks, an Indigenous-owned company that makes what it calls Canada’s original winter boot (mukluks), moccasins and accessories is marking the grand opening of its first pop-up location in the Greater Toronto Area, in the former Bose store at the Newmarket mall.
“For people in Newmarket, they might not have ever had an opportunity to interact with Indigenous people or hear any of our stories,” brand ambassador Sarain Fox said. “It’s a retail environment, but it’s also a space where people can come to interact and to be in spaces with each other that might not otherwise exist. I call it reconciliation-lite.”
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Fox, a multi-talented Anishinaabe activist and journalist who works in film, fashion, and TV, including as host of Rise on Viceland and, most recently, CBC’s Future History, seized the opportunity to amplify the voice of Indigenous communities on behalf of the fast-growing footwear company.
“We haven’t had the opportunity to sell our stuff to the world, other people have done it for us,” Fox said. “And so, it’s really important for us to be involved and create an impact that way. The goal of Manitobah Mukluks is to create opportunities for Indigenous people to participate in what we call the “missed economy’.”
“I’ve had the opportunity to explore all kinds of things I never thought were possible,” said Fox, of her five-year relationship as not only the company’s brand ambassador, but also a contributor to its art design, storytelling, public-facing marketing and media, product development, and fashion photoshoots.
Fox designed the window displays for the pop-up shop at Upper Canada Mall and will have a role in the company’s next pop-up slated for Barrie in October, where she grew up.
Manitobah Mukluks was founded in Winnipeg by Metis entrepreneur Sean McCormick in 1997 and has since grown into a medium-sized, Profit-500 company. It has an Indigenous-first hiring policy and welcomes Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff alike into the fold, particularly those with an art, theatre or performance background.
“We’re a brand that’s always been open to taking risks, and we’re an atypical employer,” Fox said. “We look for Indigenous people, artists and storytellers, and we’re looking for people who are open to engaging in meaningful partnerships and relationships with their community.”
Manitobah Mukluks merchandise includes accessories such as home decor, winter mitts and shoulder bags, and a wide range of pricing and styles in mukluks, moccasins, and what it calls storyboots for men, women, children and youth.
The functional storyboots are part of the company’s storyboot project that has at its heart a push to revive Indigenous traditional arts by partnering with elders and artisans who traditionally make the products, and retain all of the proceeds.
“Our products have been a part of our community for thousands of years,” said Fox. “This pop-up is about educating people on Indigenous innovation and technology and how we’ve offered that not only to Canada but the world. And reminding people how much work the Indigenous people have always provided for this country. Now we’re doing it through our retail where we can share our stories.”
The Manitobah Mukluks pop-up continues at Upper Canada Mall until the beginning of January 2020. The company is hiring for several positions.
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