​September 30 is National Day of Truth & Reconciliation. 

"The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process." 

Beyond the Beads is all about Community. It's about coming together & supporting one another.
I'd like to take this space & share with you, some highly recommended Indigenous owned businesses.

I will also share some resources & books that are appropriate for adults & children alike, on the Beyond The Pages part of this website. These are books about Residential Schools, & also books written or illustrated by Indigenous authors & artists. 

This list was shared with me from a friend that I met at SickKids who is a gorgeous human being  & Mama to two beautiful girls. I have always admired her strength & resilience. The way she advocates for her children & the Indigenous community is truly inspiring. 

Pow Wow Pitch
www.powwowpitch.org
Pow Wow Pitch is a grassroots community by and for Indigenous entrepreneurs to support our collective impact and success.

Raven Rising 
www.ravenrising.ca
At Raven Rising, Global Indigenous is our inspiration and legacy. Our chocolates focus on traditional ingredients sourced from Indigenous people and businesses in Canada and globally.
To honour family members, friends, and everyone affected, a portion of our proceeds are donated to various societies that support 60's Scoop, MMIWg2s, and Residential School organizations.

Ondarez
www.ondarez.com
Ondarez (on-the-rez) Clothing and Goods began in a small First Nation in Northern Ontario. I am Paula Naponse the creator /owner of Ondarez and I truly believe that Ondarez is really a culture like no other... I am an Anishinaabe kwe entrepreneur… I source materials that are mainly Indigenous and made in North America. I am inspired by beads, fabric, and the natural world that surrounds us. I use materials from nature, create all products by hand. Ondarez Clothing specializes in hand screen-printed apparel and accessories. I recently established a home goods collection which features candles and coffee. 

Turtle Woman Indigenous Wear

Lauren Good Day, Artist Designer
https://laurengoodday.com/
Lauren Good Day “Good Day Woman” is an Multi- award winning Arikara, Hidatsa, Blackfeet and Plains Cree artist & sought after fashion designer. She is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation) of the Ft. Berthold Reservation in North Dakota, USA and also a registered Treaty Indian with the Sweet Grass Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada. She has shown her artwork at the world’s most prestigious Native American juried art shows.

S&K Collective
https://sandkcollective.com/
My name is Sam, mother, wife and founder of S and K Collective. We are Lytton First Nations female owned small shop located in Port Coquitlam, B.C.A portion of proceeds are donated back to various charities/organizations. We believe in change for the better as a whole, and try to portray that through our clothing.

Wabimeguil Fine Art
https://wabimeguil.com/
We are a First Nations, family run business providing high quality giftware, fine art prints and originals.

Medicine Wheel Publishing 
https://medicinewheelpublishing.com/
Medicine Wheel Publishing empowers Indigenous Storytellers and Elders to publish authentic cultural stories designed for the classroom. The stories can be found in thousands of schools, bookstores and homes across turtle island. The books published all carry powerful, moral and cultural lessons easy for children to understand and learn from. By building a bridge between cultures through publishing we can achieve greater understanding and reconciliation.