Farmers’ market welcomes Indigenous vendors
Creemore Farmers’ and Craft Market will be hosting an Indigenous vendors’ market and celebration on Sunday, June 16.
Vendor facilitator Muckpaloo Ipeelie said throughout the day visitors will have the opportunity to shop the market, see demonstrations of sacred dancing, Indigenous musical performance, and a food demonstration.
With the goal of opening the Creemore Farmers’ and Craft Market to performers, crafters, artisans, producers, and makers from the Indigenous Community, market manager Peta Christen reached out to Ipeelie to see if she would be interested in helping to facilitate an Indigenous vendors’ market like the one in Collingwood.
“I’m delighted that Peta reached out because it will be the first Indigenous market for the Creemore area and I think that’s incredibly meaningful,” she said.
Ipeelie works for the larger Indigenous community as a partner in the Georgian Bay Indigenous Circle, and specifically for the Inuit community as owner and CEO of the Urban Inuit Identity Project.
Because the Tionontati (also known as Petun) people inhabited the local area until the mid-1600s, Ipeelie says an Indigenous celebration is due. It will be led by a number of local Indigenous community members: Zach Keeshig will do a special food demonstration of ‘progressive aboriginal cuisine’; Elder Jeff Monague will be singing; and Elder James Carpenter will perform sacred Indigenous dancing of Turtle Island with his family.
Vendors from the Simcoe-Grey area will include makers of ribbon skirts, beaded jewellery and other items, creators of botanical body care products, moccasins, a natural scene printer, and crochet. In addition, Ipeelie will be selling orange Every Child Matters shirts.
On Orange Shirt Day 2021 Ipeelie started a Facebook page, now called the Georgian Bay
Indigenous Circle, in order to build a community and a place where people could share events and initiatives.
“I saw that the Indigenous community in our area didn’t have a place to gather and support each other,” said Ipeelie. “We’re still trying to support each other the best way we can and I find these events are what the community wants.”
The grassroots organization offers opportunities for learning and to be allies. The Urban Inuit Identity Project aims to help urban Inuit receive culturally appropriate care, so they don’t fall through existing social safety nets, and provide culturally appropriate workshops.
Ipeelie said the community is welcome to come and observe the cultural pieces that the knowledge- sharers will provide during the celebration. Although not required, visitors may offer gifts in exchange for teachings. People may offer tobacco tied in a red cloth, sage, a cedar pouch, or a pouch of coffee or tea, which is typically given as a thank you in the Inuit culture.
The market will be located at Creemore Station on the Green at 10 Caroline St. E., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with demos throughout the day. The market is sponsored by TD Bank and is organized with partners Indigenous Tourism Ontario, Creemore Village Green, and Creemore BIA, with support from Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society and Clearview Township.
The Farmers’ Market hopes to expand and diversify the market vendors who attend regularly and offer space for the Indigenous community to participate. The event is open to the public at no charge. Bring cash to make purchases from vendors.
To register to be a vendor, email m.ipeelie@gmail. com. Tents will be provided.
For more information, visit creemorefarmersmarket. ca. Find Georgian Bay Indigenous Circle on Facebook and at gbic.ca. To learn more about the Urban Inuit Identity Project, visit urbaninuitidentityproject.ca.
