Across Northern Canada, Indigenous entrepreneurs are catalysts of prosperity and drivers of social change within their communities. Their success has a far-reaching ripple effect that leads to greater Northern self-determination and sustainability. 

This page is a home to inspiring Northern stories that demonstrate positive program and community impact. 

LAND CRAFTED by The Narwhal

This video series explores the unique challenges and triumphs of five Northern Indigenous entrepreneurs from our first cohort. As journalist Jimmy Thompson explains: ​

The stories of how their businesses began are often challenging in the ways that many stories of modern Indigenous life are challenging. There are stories of rediscovering, reasserting and protecting identity; of struggling with modernity, history and tradition; of slow internet and fast changes; of standing up to colonial attitudes about art and craft.

These businesses are making soap, jewelry, scents, clothing and more, using materials and inspiration from the land. That in turn is reinforcing their appreciation for the unique environments of northern Canada. Whether it’s bowhead whale oil in a body butter from Uasau Soap, a caribou antler earring from Hinaani Design, beadwork embedded in a soap bar from Yukon Soaps, spruce oil in a Dene Roots spray or musk ox horn brought front and centre on a piece from Tania Larsson, these businesses are elevating northern materials to products that celebrate the best of their environment.

Watch LAND CRAFTED

​Episode 1 with Nooks Lindell of Hinaani Design: An Inuk Comes Home Through Art
​​Read the accompanying article here. ​

​Episode 2 with Joella Hogan of The Yukon Soaps Comapny: A Soap Business Bubbles Up in Midst of Yukon Mining Boom ​
​Read the accompanying article here.

Episode 3 with Tania Larsson of Tania Larsson Jewelry: A Gwich'in Artist Elevates Indigenous Jewelry 
Read the accompanying article here.

Episode 4 with Misty Ireland of Dene Roots: A Dene-Made Solution for Smudging in a Smoke-Free World
Read the accompanying article here. ​

Episode 5 with Bernice Clarke of Uasau Soaps: An Inuit Soap Maker Uses Whale Oil, Reclaiming Tradition
Read the accompanying article here. ​