Online Stores

In the past two decades Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs have increasingly turned to online stores and social media to sell their products, allowing them to expand the reach of their businesses and bridge the often vast distances to southern and International markets. However, this sector is not without its challenges, including low internet bandwidth, high shipping costs, and restrictive international laws on the sale of animal by-products such as seal skin.

These stores are run by individual entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, and Indigenous governments. A few examples:

• The Tłı̨chǫ Online Store sells clothing, jewelry, and accessories from Tłı̨chǫ artists, and is run by the Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation, an arm of the Tłı̨chǫ Government.
• The Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts & Crafts, in Pangnirtung Nunavut, is both an in-person and online store which showcases Inuit arts and crafts. The Centre is partnered with the Nunavut Development Corporation, a territorial corporation of the Government of Nunavut.
• The Yukon First Nations Arts online store is run by the Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association and sells products created by Yukon First Nations. It also hosts in-person markets and symposiums on beading, hides and furs.
• Unorthodox Yukon and Malikkaat Ltd. are private businesses that maintain both in-person and online stores selling a wide range of goods from their respective regions.