Both eager to socialize during their first maternity leave, Trisha Pitura and Mélanie Bernard met in 2016 in the pool during a mother-baby class. Having recently moved to Gatineau from Sudbury, the former, a member of the Nipissing First Nation (Ojibwe), passionate about sewing, was making pretty baby clothes. The latter, then an elementary school teacher in Ottawa, particularly gifted with technology, offered to help her with a website and social networks. The friendly and professional love at first sight was immediate and flourishing. A passionate Indigenous and non-Indigenous woman joined forces to create something beautiful and useful.

From craftsmanship to entrepreneurship

“Trisha has a real obsession with fabrics!” says Mélanie. “She has an incredible eye! From the beginning, we wanted to create well-made, durable products.”

Initially, they sold their baby products at craft shows, local boutiques and on Etsy . Little by little, they focused their niche on blankets, shawls and bags with Indigenous patterns… They made the choice to create only from fabrics with authentic patterns created by Indigenous artists . Today, they are distributed in 30 stores in Canada, including Simons’ Fabrique 1840 .

In 2020, thanks mainly to their online store sales, their turnover exploded to $800,000 in sales. At the beginning of the year, they took the plunge: “From our basements, we decided to open our own factory that employs seven people…”, explains Trisha.

Another event would bring them out of their shell: “The Black Lives Matter movement, which resonated a lot with Indigenous communities, was a turning point,” explains Mélanie. “Before, we defined ourselves as a half-Indigenous company that collaborates with First Nations artists, but without finding our voice.”

A revelation for Trisha as well: “As a child, I spent my summers in the Dokis First Nation, but like many, I grew up with a certain discomfort related to my identity. I was too white for the indigenous people and too Indian for the white people. When Mélanie and I began to build a network within the indigenous nations and find our place as a company, I went on my own journey. I gave myself the right to feel disconnected, but also to reclaim my origins.

A bridge between two cultures

The role of Mini Tipi? Building bridges between two cultures: indigenous and non-indigenous. “In keeping with indigenous values, we spoke to several people to get their opinion on what we were doing,” Trisha says. “It was important for us to get the approval and respect of our elders.”

"What we do must be in harmony with the elders, tradition, what came before us," adds Mélanie. "We cannot take this aspect lightly."

As Mini Tipi wants to serve as an intercultural bridge, the co-founders hope to soon include in their collection pieces that also celebrate the tradition and allochthonous origins of Quebec and Canada.

For the next seven generations

Since the beginning, Mini Tipi has been fully funded by Trisha and Mélanie. However, the duo took part in the Fireweed Fellowship , an accelerator for Indigenous entrepreneurs, whose program lasts 10 months. “Money is not a problem,” confirms Trisha. “Resources and staff are another story! It’s not always easy to find experienced seamstresses and keep our production in Canada.”

The challenges are numerous and the projects, even more. "Our wildest dream would be to have our own commercial building that would bring together interesting sub-companies that would have a link with us," Melanie muses.

Their next collection will be even more in line with their values since the fabric coming from Italy will be recycled and eco-friendly. “In Indigenous culture, we have to have a perspective on the impact our actions will have on the next seven generations,” explains Trisha. This bias is in line with our values and our corporate culture.”