The Indigenous Artisans Market Collective (I.A.M.Collective) is a community of 42 local Indigenous creatives, with members from varying nations across Turtle Island. They operate year-round on every Saturday and Sunday at the Downtown Farmers Market, and can be found at almost every Edmonton festival.
The Indigenous Empowerment Collective is composed of 9 local Indigenous fashion designers who are from various backgrounds including Cree, Mohawk, Blackfoot, Navajo, Cherokee, Dene, Maori and Métis. The collective hosts a variety of fashion shows throughout the year!
Located in St. Albert, Michif Cultural Connections is a historical museum and centre celebrating Métis culture. Operating year-round, they offer beading, moccasin and leather workshops, and also have a gift shop area where they sell local Métis work.
Elk Island National Park’s visitor centre is one of the first Parks Canada visitor centres to sell local Indigenous work! Elk Island works with surrounding tribes and urban artisans to sell their products at the gift shop year-round. Make sure to check it out the next time you head that way to see the bison!
The Grow Centre on Whyte Avenue is an Indigenous run co-working and workshop space. The owner and operator (also the owner of Nikawiy Handmade) often has pop-up shops throughout the year featuring local Indigenous artists. Follow them on social media and stay tuned for the next pop-up!
The Royal Alberta Museum’s gift shop is a great place to shop for unique gifts. More than half of the store is filled with local and Indigenous products from all over Alberta. You can find several local, Edmonton-based artisans' work including Cree-Ative Designs and Metisgirlbeads.
There are many more local Indigenous artisans in Edmonton who aren’t a part of collectives but are very active on social media. Be sure to look around Facebook and Instagram for other Indigenous artists and handcrafters to follow. Happy shopping!