https://www.facebook.com/143627035494970/

Feather and Dot Trading Company, Thunder Bay, ON (2026)

01/25/2024

Boozhoo!

Our team has been having tons of fun exploring the market and forging partnerships with Indigenous artisans. Today we’re excited to highlight the first two pairs of earrings we acquired and express our gratitude to George Lone Elk from the Cheyenne Nation for supporting our vision of restoring the traditional First Nations trade-based economy. When Abu and Donna met George at a trade show in October 2023, he gifted these earrings to the business to help us get started.

Chi Miigwetch George from the Feather and Dot Trading Company!! 🪶🪶🪶🪶

The first pair we have available for sale today is a beautiful pair of dangling beaded earrings. This style originated in the Cree Nation. These earrings are 10 cm or 4” in length with an ombre pattern created with navy blue, light pink, and gold beads.

✨✨✨ $50 + tax ✨✨✨

✨✨✨ We accept cash, EMT, debit, or credit. ✨✨✨

Shipping is $5 outside of the Thunder Bay area. Delivery is free of charge in Thunder Bay or Fort William First Nation. Tax exemption is available for delivery to First Nations communities.

The second pair we have available today is a pair of earrings crafted by George Lone Elk. These earrings are 7 cm or 3” long and made of wampum beads, swarovski crystal beads, and silver dangling feathers. Wampum beads are made from Quahog sea shells from the Atlantic Ocean and are connected to the Anishinaabek Creation story and are used as materials to create wampum belts. Due to the connection wampum beads have to spiritual beliefs, we will accept trade only as compensation. 🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅

Some examples that we will happily accept as compensation are beadwork, to***co, crafting materials(furs, hides, or beading materials), or traditional foods. Negotiations are open. 🖼️🖌️🎨🧵🧶🍃

If the proposed trade item has a higher value than the earrings we will cover the difference with cash, or provide photos of other items in our inventory for a fair trade. Shipping is negotiable. 📦

Chi Miigwetch 💖

DM to purchase or trade

12/08/2023

Please see our edits. Thank you to everyone with positive comments and sincere apologies to everyone who is angry and worried about exploitation.

12/07/2023

How many of you have ever felt personally victimized by the Hudson’s Bay Company? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

Donna's great-grandparents sold furs to the HBC for a few dollars and some shiny trinkets, and the HBC later sold those furs for the equivalent of $1000s in Europe. This anger partially inspired Donna to team up with Abu to start the Feather and Dot Trading Company. 🪶

The team is excited to offer cash and trades as options for compensation. As a startup business managed by bootstrapping entrepreneurs we are looking into third party escrow services in case we do not have enough cash on hand for fair cash compensation. 💵💵💵💵💵

We are offering a sales and marketing service to First Nations artisans across Turtle Island 🐢🏝. Our goal is to build our brand so that we can promote First Nations artisans to bring them new sales and help them earn higher compensation for their labour and talents. Bead work is a luxury item. A comparable level of craftsmanship for a beaded set of accessories or regalia would sell for $1000s in Paris or Milan and hand-crafted items from First Nations artisans are just as luxurious and valuable. 💎💎💎

We will compensate artisans for shipping, materials, labour, and expertise. After a trade or sales agreement is reached, we list an item for sale and add our commission fee for our service to the final sale price. We will add information to our listings about the artisan, their community, clan, and contact information for custom orders.

Message our page or email [email protected] or [email protected] for any questions or concerns! 📨

12/06/2023

🪶🪶🪶🪶 Introducing the co-founders of the Feather and Dot Trading Company, Donna Tremble and Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal. 🪶🪶🪶🪶

We're opening our business in Thunder Bay, Ontario on the traditional Anishinaabek territory. The Anishinaabek and Algonquin had one of the strongest combined economies in Turtle Island prior to European settlement. Anishinaabek did not operate a central bank or issue standard currency, instead the economy was supported entirely by trade. Our co-founders are on a mission to re-establish commercial trading for modern Indigenous people across Turtle Island. 🐢🏝

Feather and Dot will operate an ecommerce store and participate in pop up markets and pow wows. We'll have a few handmade beaded items available online later this week. The team is looking to trade for or purchase the following items:

✨hand beaded jewellery, clothing, and accessories✨
✨handmade moccasins✨
✨woodland artwork✨
✨processed furs and hides✨
✨handmade mittens, hats, and gauntlets✨
✨ribbon skirts, pants, and shirts✨
✨moss bags and tikinaagans✨
✨traditional south Asian clothing✨

We are willing to trade groceries, fresh meats, general merchandise, and baby products for Indigenous and south Asian goods. Requests are open and we will ship to other communities.

Message our page on Facebook or email [email protected] or [email protected]

🚀🚀🚀 Accepting cash, Interac e-transfer, credit, debit, or trades. 🚀🚀🚀

EDIT: Donna made a copy mistake. Sorry cousins!!! This is Anishinaabek territory but our economy prior to European settlement was combined with other Anishinaabek nations including Algonquins. 😊

EDIT 2: We should have been more descriptive with our copy on our first post. We sincerely apologize to everyone who is angry and thinks we are trying to exploit indigenous artisans.

Indigenous people have a right to free trade that is protected by the 1794 Jay treaty. We have also seen that shopping services like instacart are quite popular in cities. Our idea was to offer cash AND an option for a similar service to instacart where we purchase specific items at wholesale value for free trade purposes. Our intent is to cover operational costs with fair commissions on marketing services and not markup grocery or general merchandise items in a trading agreement.

We have recently purchased with cash a set of earrings from an indigenous woman for 40% more than what she was asking. We agreed with her to add a 15% commission on our final sale price for our marketing service. The service includes promoting her as an artisan and providing information for new customers to purchase from her directly.

We appreciate everyone who has kindly asked us questions and we sincerely apologize to everyone who is angry.

Address

Thunder Bay, ON

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Feather and Dot Trading Company posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Feather and Dot Trading Company

01/25/2024

12/08/2023

12/07/2023

12/06/2023

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request