08/19/2026
๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ
โ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ.
If you are an Indigenous business ownerโ or preparing to begin your own journey โ I hope these teachings support you as you grow. Our businesses are more than storefronts or making a sale; they are extensions of our values, our families, and the communities we are building.
I personally do this work because I was one of the ones where culture was taken from. I didnโt grow up with traditions, teachings, or cultural practices, as both of my parents are residential school survivors. I grew up without the very things I now teach. But today, I am learning. I am reconnecting. And I am healing. That is why this work matters so deeply to me โ it is not just business, it is reclamation!
๐ชถ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐๐ญ:
Our ancestors lived in systems built on sharing, reciprocity, and collective strength. When we run our businesses from fear, we slip into a colonial mindset rooted in scarcity and competition. But abundance reminds us that there is enough success, enough opportunity, and enough community for all of us to rise.
๐ชถ ๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ:
Every achievement โ a storefront anniversary, a new product launch, a first market table ectโ it is meaningful. When another Indigenous entrepreneur reaches a milestone, honour it. Celebrate them. Let them shine. Undercutting their sales or hijacking their dates doesnโt build community; it fractures it. Our strength comes from lifting each other, not competing for attention.
๐ชถ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง:
โCommunity over competitionโ is more than a slogan โ it is a responsibility. Understanding what that means is important! Because it shows up in how we speak about one another, how we support each otherโs events, and how we behave behind the scenes. Real community work means protecting each otherโs growth, not sabotaging it. When we act with integrity, we honour our teachings.
(There are many other teachings but this are the main ones I would like to share)
I want to be clear about why I do this work and why I opened this business Heritage Shine Creations: I am not here to compete with other Indigenous entrepreneurs. There is room for all of us. My purpose is to help our people reconnect with culture, with tradition, and with the healing found in beading and sewing ect. Because I fund this myself, I sacrifice to keep my prices accessible so our culture remains open to everyone. As this business was built entirely out of my own pocket. I have never received a single grant, band fund, or external funding. Every bead, ribbon or every bolt of fabric, and every shelf in this storefront represents personal sacrifice, sweat equity, and an act of love for this community.
To anyone starting out: do not copy someoneโs timing, hijack their dates, or undercut their prices โ because you will NEVER replicate their heart, their spirit, or the trust theyโve built with their community. Build your business with intention and purpose. Respect Indigenous businesses and lift each other up as you climb.
No one has time for games or insecurity. I place it all in prayer and give it to the Creator. Carrying desperation, jealousy, or fake solidarity is heavy โ and I always pray for healing, clarity, and peace for anyone struggling with that weight.
Lead your business with good intentions, especially if you are wanting to build a community. A huge thank you all for supporting me as I step into their meaningful work and continue to build. โค๏ธ
