52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing - Week 17
Week 17: Support an Indigenous Business
from Robertson, David A. 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing
This week is a very practical one. Robertson invites us to support Indigenous businesses, artists, and entrepreneurs. It doesn’t have to be a big purchase. Even a small investment can make a difference when it comes to supporting Indigenous-led work and creativity.
He acknowledges that some people may feel hesitant, especially around questions of cultural appropriation. That’s a real and important concern. But he makes a helpful distinction: when you are purchasing directly from Indigenous artists or businesses, that is not appropriation. It is support. Whether it’s beadwork, clothing, artwork, books, or other goods, buying directly from Indigenous creators helps sustain their work and livelihoods.
Robertson shares from his own experience as a writer. Like many artists, he depended for years on people choosing to buy his work. That support made it possible for him to keep writing and eventually turn it into his full-time vocation. The same is true for Indigenous entrepreneurs across many fields. When people support their work, it creates opportunities not just for one person, but for others who hope to follow a similar path.
He points out that Indigenous businesses are growing across many industries, from publishing and the arts to fashion and retail. These businesses not only offer high-quality products and services, they also help challenge stereotypes and expand how Indigenous success is seen and understood.
The invitation is simple: seek out Indigenous-owned businesses in your area or online and choose to support them. Visit a market, attend a powwow, explore local shops, or look up Indigenous creators whose work speaks to you. Each purchase becomes a small but meaningful way to contribute to economic opportunity and visibility.
Supporting Indigenous businesses is not just about buying something. It is about investing in people, creativity, and futures.
What Indigenous business, artist, or creator might you support this week, and how could that choice become part of a larger commitment to reconciliation in everyday life?
Want to read last weeks post, you can do so here.