shop indigenous
When we travel, we seek opportunities to experience the culture and history of the lands we wander. As responsible travellers, we participate in spiritual transactions that connect us to Indigenous communities, their art, and traditions not just through cash, but through purpose.
Whether we purchase a healing salve made from ancestral medicinal plants, or a pair of buckskin moccasins tanned and beaded by an Indigenous elder, we are investing in the journey of slow non-commercial goods to market and the preservation of Indigenous art in British Columbia.
Satya Organic Skin Care
Vancouver
Official Website
Satya Organic is one of the finest natural skin care lines we’ve tried – especially for little members of the family who experience seasonal eczema. Just five organic ingredients are mixed to nurture and heal sensitive skin. Products come in sustainable packaging and refillable tins and jars, helping to preserve people, place and planet. Port Coquitlam, BC.
Salmon n’ Bannock
Vancouver
Official Website
The only Indigenous owned and operated restaurant in Vancouver, Salmon n’ Bannock has mastered the art of feeding both your soul and quest for authentic Indigenous cuisine. This unique spot specializes in organic, free-range game and freshly caught seafood from the lands of the Coast Salish. Vancouver, BC.
Skwacha’ys Lodge
Vancouver
Official Website
Canada’s first Indigenous Arts Hotel celebrates the talent of Indigenous artists with its live-in residence program and fair-trade gallery. This boutique hotel includes 18 guest suites, a smudge room and a rooftop sweat lodge. Owned and operated by Vancouver Native Housing Society and within walking distance of downtown and SkyTrain. Vancouver, BC.
Spirit Bear Coffee Company
Port Coquitlam
Website
Buy coffee, save whales. Two of our favourite things align with the offerings of Spirit Bear Coffee Company. Certified organic and fair trade, they brew a distinctly good cup of coffee and flourish as Indigenous purveyors of goodness in a highly competitive market. Port Coquitlam, BC
Skwa’lwen Botanicals
Squamish
Website
Skw’alen Botanicals handcrafts “skincare experiences” harvested from wild plants and grounded in the natural world. Founded by ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph of Squamish First Nation, this medicine for skin and spirit honours traditional Squamish plant knowledge and culture. Squamish, BC.
Lelam’ Arts and Cultural Café
Fort Langley
Website
This Indigenous owned and operated arts and cultural café offers a contemporary take on bannock with its famous bannock tacos. Located in the ‘Birthplace of BC’, there is rich heritage in this intimate gathering place. Infused with local goodness, we strongly suggest a patio stop and short vagabond around this historical fort town to learn more about the rich Indigenous influence. Fort Langley, BC.
Evan Ducharme
online shop
Website
Authentically, aesthetically – boldly Indigenous, this designer of purposeful fashion is decidedly exciting. We are obsessed with his ATAVISM satirical ode to the ancestors and love the jagged juxtaposition of fierceness and tranquility in the design movement. Evan Ducharme is shaping the social landscape and concept of privilege through fashion. BC based online store.
Massy Books
Vancouver
Website
If you find yourself in Vancouver and in need of a good book, stop by Massy Bookstore. This quaint shop is located in historic Chinatown and offers rare, Indigenous reads and unique books from around the world. The shop – a member of the Stó:lō Business Association – profiles Indigenous women and 2SQ (two spirit) artists in their Indigenous Brilliance series. Vancouver, BC.
Great Bear Rainforest Essential Oils
Multiple Locations
Website
This online shop is a social enterprise supported by the Coastal First Nations Great Bear Initiative — a non-profit society and alliance of eight First Nations on BC’s North and Central Coast and Haida Gwaii. Pure, sustainably harvested essential oils from the Great Bear Rainforest are steam-distilled from fresh conifer needles. Your purchase will help support the people who call this region home. Found in stores across Canada.
Sxwimele Boutique and Gifts
Fort Langley
Website
Located in the Visitor Centre at Fort Langley National Historic Site, the Sxwimele Boutique and Gifts is owned and operated by Seyem Qwantlen Business Group on behalf of Kwantlen First Nation. The quaint shop offers a carefully curated collection of Indigenous and local memorabilia. Fort Langley, BC.