Miigwewin Online Store
At our online store, you will find authentic Indigenous crafters, supplies, online experiences and learning opportunities. Check it out, hear the stories of the crafters, see what the Anishinaabe communities have to offer!
The Miigwewin online store is a social enterprise of the Bagida’waad Alliance, which is a not for profit corporation led and managed by Anishinaabe community members of the Chippewas of Nawash and Saugeen First Nations, in collaboration with allies across the region.
Miigwewin means ‘gifting’ in Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, who have lived since time immemorial on the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula in what is called Saukiing Anishinaabekiing.
A Sample of Other Projects
The Bagida’waad Alliance have run a number of successful projects. First project was a net seaming workshop hosted in Neyaashiinigmiing and also held at Kikendaasogamig Elementary School for the students. It was to give hands on experience to people about the gill nets that the fishers use. Another project was to run a pottery workshop twice. The second class was focused around collecting clay in Neyaashiinigmiing. It was a workshop that was asked to be repeated.
A project was done with the youth recording some Elders telling the youth a story of when they were young. It ranged from favourite pets to caring for gardens to outhouses. It was shown at a dinner that the youth and Elders shared and they played some card games and did some puzzles with the Elders. It was another project that was asked to be continued by the Elders for they really enjoyed it. Bagida’waad Alliance hosted a Celebration of Fishers that had games, a dinner, a dance and Anishinaabe Singers. It was really enjoyed by both community and non-community members.
We also did a land-based learning opportunity with some Centennial College students. They went outside hiking, worked with livestock, listened and learned from Elders from Neyaashiinigmiing. They stayed for 5 days and when they left they felt like it had changed their life.
We have completed over 40 interviews with community members and compiled photos, with a draft of a book. We are working toward publishing it, including working with a renowned photographer (Rino Noto) to get high quality photos of the Elders.
We have run workshops in the community, including on sustainable building and water testing, as well as conducting regional beach clean ups. The team have also done many presentations across Ontario about how climate change is affecting Lake Huron, with calls to action and programs to engage people on an ongoing basis. We also have been doing online webinars and chats throughout the pandemic, and have started a social enterprise with a trailer to host supporters and students. We continually have 2-3 youth hired full-time to experience a variety of environmental-related work opportunities.
We received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant in collaboration with Dr. Jim Stinson from York University to run a Film School with Anishinaabe youth from Saugeen Ojibway Nation members, with the possibility of submitting videos to the United Nations Youth Climate Report. We are collaborating with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Environment Office, Nawash Fisheries, Ministry of Natural Resources and Parks Canada on a whitefish study called Together with Gigooyike, and we received a Mitacs grant for a post-doctoral fellow to support this study. We received a second SSHRC grant in collaboration with York for a three year project ($200,000) around engaging Indigenous youth around decolonizing the water, land and the Bruce Trail. We are also in the process of developing a course at the University of Toronto around reconciliation and land-based education.
We are also working on food sustainability and have a number of projects underway involving Natasha and Andrew Akiwenzie’s farm, and teaching workshops to community members on a variety of related topics such as beekeeping and worm composting.
Bagida'waad 