11 Red River Métis artisans to support this holiday season

November 20, 2023

_{Supporting local couldn't be easier this holiday season with this list of 11 Red River Métis artisans!}

When you support local Red River Métis artisans over the holidays, you buy products from Citizens who put just as much consideration, love, and care into their work as you did in choosing their products.

Each artisan in this list can be found at 150 Henry Avenue at our Red River Métis Marketplace (formerly known as the Ed Simard General Store), making your shopping experiences even easier this holiday season.

Here are 11 Red River Métis artisans you can support this holiday season:

1. Bead 'n Butter

_{Jessie Pruden, owner of Bead 'n Butter, is a proud queer, Red River Métis beader from Winnipeg who puts
her own spin onto traditional beading styles.}

Bead 'n Butter is owned by Jessie Pruden, a queer, Red River Métis woman from Winnipeg. The artist first began her beading journey in 2020, when she taught herself to bead from YouTube videos before reaching out to family members and other beaders within the community to expand on her talents. Since then, her work has been seen on international stages at Paris Fashion Week, and she was the recipient of the BIPOC Women in Business Gala prize this year.

Pruden puts a contemporary spin on traditional beading, incorporating bright colours with bold graphic designs to create truly special statement pieces.

As the Red River Métis artisan's business grows, so does the recognition of her work. Bead 'n Butter products are available on her website, various retail stores, including at our Red River Métis Marketplace, and can even be seen on your favourite television shows like Virgin River!

Our favourite product: Bead 'n Butter earrings will be the perfect addition to any outfit for family holiday gatherings or the office Christmas party!

2. Brenda Lee Hadland

_{A knitter for most of her life, Brenda Lee Hadland has passed on these skills to her daughters and
anyone else who is willing to learn.}

Brenda Lee Hadland first learned to knit from her German mother at a young age. Once Hadland got the basics down, she began incorporating her Red River Métis culture into the pieces she was creating.

Hadland has carried her love of crafting into her adult life, using her passion to decompress from the stresses of life and keep her grounded in the world around her. The secret to her creations is in the positivity, energy, love, and care she puts into every piece.

Our favourite product: Hadland's mittens are perfect for Manitoba's cold winter months. With a wide range of colours and custom labels, these mittens will be noticed on even the snowiest of days.

3. Candace Lipischak

_{Candace Lipischak creates products that incorporate her French, Métis, and Polish background, while also telling stories regarding environmental and social issues.}

Multidisciplinary artist Candace Lipischak is inspired by nature and her French, Métis, and Polish background. Her and her father's company Fat Daug (short for Father/Daughter) launched in 2015, offering unique and organic antler jewelry, which can be found both at the Red River Métis Marketplace, online, and at WAG-Quamajuq.

The artisan incorporates many mediums such as antlers, recycled tin, and a variety of other materials into her work as a way of telling a different story regarding environmental and social issues, consumerism, the land, truth and reconciliation, and nature's powerful force.

Our favourite product: Who wouldn't want to rep the father of our province, Louis Riel, this holiday season? Candace Lipischak's beautifully illustrated Riel T-shirts are the perfect gift for the history buffs in your life this Christmas.

4. Dean Combot

_{Dean Combot focuses on sustainable practices when woodworking.}

Dean Combot has always enjoyed working with his hands. Along with a passion for fixing, building, and creating, his interest in reducing his ecological footprint has shaped him into the entrepreneur he is today.

Through repurposing and reclaiming materials, Combot finds new ways to design projects with sustainability in mind, a way he honours and celebrates his Red River Métis culture. From small-scale projects to larger statement pieces, his wide range of woodwork will help you find the perfect gift this holiday season.

Our favourite product: Combot's beautifully crafted infinity symbols are the perfect way to display your Red River Métis pride at home!

5. Holden's Honey Hollow

_{Holden's Honey Hollow has a diverse range of products to choose from, including natural raw honey, raw beeswax, candles, lip balm, and beeswax food wraps.}

As the youngest Red River Métis artisan on our list, Holden Ricard is making his way as an entrepreneur. In 2022, the 15-year-old decided to invest his allowance into starting his own business, leading to his purchase of 12 beehives.

Holden's Honey Hollow has a diverse range of products, including natural raw honey, raw beeswax, candles, lip balm, and beeswax food wraps. With his expansion to 36 beehives this spring, Ricard's business will only continue to grow!

Our favourite product: Holden's Honey Hollow beeswax candles will have you buzzing this Christmas!

6. Hudson & Mé

_{Red River Métis entrepreneur Brittany Butler takes inspiration from her grandmother,
who took great pride in her Métis heritage.}

Brittany Butler first began beading in 2016 alongside her mother and aunt as a hobby, but after finding encouragement from friends and family, she decided to begin selling her beadwork in 2020. Hudson and Mé has now surpassed her beautiful beadwork, with fun clothing concepts, outdoor apparel, and more!

Since starting her business, Butler has dedicated her time to give back to her community. For every purchase made, a portion of the profits are donated to community organizations that support her fellow Indigenous kin.

Our favourite product: Hudson and Mé's toques come in a wide range of colours that will complement your winter attire perfectly!

7. Jaime Bernardin

_{Jaime Bernardin's interest in beading coincided with her journey to learn more about her Red River Métis heritage.}

Jaime Bernardin is a proud Red River Métis woman and beader living in MacGregor, Manitoba. After discovering her Métis ancestry, the entrepreneur began her journey to learn more about her heritage, leading her to the discovery of our traditional floral beadwork. From that point her curiosity grew, and when a beading class was offered, she eagerly joined.

Bernardin has come a long way since her first class, with products ranging from earrings, broaches, pins, and more.

Our favourite product: Bernardin's beaded broaches are a beautiful way to dress up your layers this Christmas!

8. LaRocque Family Farms

_{Cheryl LaRocque is the founder of LaRocque Family Farms, a small hobby turned business that makes maple syrup,
jams, jellies, and more.}

Born and raised in Roblin, Manitoba, Cheryl LaRocque grew up with a love for the simpler things in life, and moved to Langenburg, Saskatchewan, where her family now has a small hobby farm.

The year 2020 brought on the expansion of LaRocque's passions, turning her gift of making maple syrup into the sustainable business we see today. LaRocque Family Farms also crafts artisanal jams, jellies, ketchup, and more.

Our favourite product: LaRocque Family Farms' maple syrup is the perfect addition to your Christmas morning breakfast!

9. Leather by Dar

_{The owners of Leather by Dar (left to right: Darlene and Kim) take a unique approach to their traditional leather work.}

Located in Mafeking, Manitoba, Leather by Dar is a Red River Métis-owned business that has been in operation for over 30 years. During that time, the company perfected their gloves, mukluks, and moccasins with vibrant flowing flowers and vines, bear paws, and eagle heads. But they are not limited to traditional designs, as Leather by Dar always takes a unique approach to traditional leather work.

This Red River Métis business has established themselves in stores in Winnipeg, including our very own Red River Métis Marketplace, and Dawson Bay, with a strong online presence through their Etsy page and social media. As their presence grows, so does their passion, making them a prime example of Red River Métis excellence.

Our favourite product: If you want to treat your feet to luxury this Christmas, Leather by Dar moccasins should be your very first choice!

10. The Stak Co. 

_{Suzan Stupack, the CEO of The Stak Co, is proud of creating a product that is nutritionally dense, flavourful and affordable for the everyday grocery shopper!}

The Stak Co. was first established to meet the ever-changing needs of its consumers, from their transparency in their ingredients to the convenience and affordability of their products.

Locally owned and operated, The Stak Co. makes flavourful, healthy, and satisfying soup and chili mixes that meet a variety of dietary needs. With gluten-free, peanut-free, low-sodium, low-fat choices that are easy to cook, you cannot go wrong with adding these meals to your stockings this Christmas!

Our favourite product: Soup is the ultimate comfort food, and with all the varieties at The Stak Co., your cravings will be fully satisfied without taking up too much of your time during the busiest season of the year!

11. Young Visionary

_{Skyler Sanderson (pictured in his clothing line) started his 100 per cent Indigenous-owned streetwear brand,
Young Visionary, in 2020.}

Skyler Sanderson first founded his 100 per cent Indigenous-owned streetwear brand, Young Visionary, in 2020. The young entrepreneur from the Northwest Region has been able to take his love of fashion and extend it into a successful business. His products are printed and embroidered on luxury blanks, ensuring the highest quality.

Sanderson has also incorporated motivational speaking into his distinct branding. The Red River Métis entrepreneur is an advocate for at-risk Indigenous Youth and hopes to inspire others to invest in themselves the way he has invested in his brand.

Our favourite product: The Young Visionary sweatpants are the perfect loungewear to rock while opening presents in your living room on Christmas morning.

You can access these products this holiday season by visiting the Red River Métis Marketplace at 150 Henry Avenue.

 

---

View More