A Regina-based First Nations artist is realizing her dream and at the same time opening doors for others.
Tonight, the Tatanka Boutique in Regina’s Cathedral neighbourhood will hold its grand opening.
The store is the only one of its kind in Regina, and possibly, the province.
What makes Tatanka Boutique so special is its merchandise. Everything is handmade by a Metis or First Nations artist. You can get a bracelet for as little as $12, or a rare First Nations painting for about $36,000.
The owner is local artist Joely Bigeagle-Kequahtooway.
She says she wanted to set up a store that was not only unique, but one that offered local artists a place where they could get value for their work:
“There’s a lot of people that will take advantage of artists and say, ‘You know what? I’ll offer you $25 for this painting’ . . . that may have taken 30 hours to create. And someone that needs food on their table or is struggling with drugs and alcohol, you know, they’re going to take that.”
Kequahtooway says her target market is professionals, collectors, and First Nations and Metis people. She has big plans — eventually, she wants to include an art institute alongside the store aimed at attracting and increasing the number of First Nations, Metis and Inuit artists:
“And I’ll invite people that maybe need some space, if they want to come and join me. And then I’ll bring in some workshop facilitators to help us bring back some of those older methods of art, like the parfleche design, the quill working.”
The mission of the boutique is to honour the tradition and culture of First Nations and Metis people, just as its name, ‘Tatanka’, honours the spirit of the Buffalo.