From Resistance to Resonance: How Totem Design House Was Built on Indigenous Values

Before Totem Design House became what it is today—a gallery, a brand, a gathering place—it began as a passion project. At the time, I was rooted in work that felt deeply aligned with my purpose. I had spent nearly a decade at Wachiay Friendship Centre developing, coordinating, and facilitating youth and family programs that centered culture, wellness, and empowerment. I was also briefly involved with Earth Guardians, a youth-led global movement for environmental and climate justice, where I helped amplify Indigenous voices in that work.

Totem Design House was never “the plan.” It started on the side—something creative I poured my energy into outside of my community work. At first, I had serious reservations about pursuing it as a full-fledged business. Coming from a non-profit background rooted in service, entering the capitalist system felt like a betrayal. I didn’t want to commodify my culture. I didn’t want to operate from a model that prioritized profit over people or growth over balance.

So I made a promise to myself:
I’d only move forward with this business if I could do it in a way that fully honoured my values as an Indigenous woman.

That meant:

• Protecting and respecting Mother Earth to the best of my ability.

• Sourcing locally and producing in-house to support our local economy and maintain accountability.

• Hiring Indigenous employees and creating opportunities within our own communities.

• Using our products as a platform—to share cultural teachings, spark conversations, and strengthen connections both within and beyond our nations.

I didn’t just want to create beautiful things—I wanted them to mean something. I wanted every piece to serve as a bridge. A way for non-Indigenous people to better understand who we are, and for Indigenous people to reconnect with identity and pride.

And above all, we give back.

Giving back has always been central to my life. It’s not something I tacked on when the business took off. Long before we called ourselves a social enterprise, we were already supporting cultural revitalization projects, youth programs, and artist collaborations. That’s just how I was raised—to serve, to uplift, to make room for others.

In 2019, we founded Copper Legacy Indigenous Empowerment Society, which formalized the work we were already doing. Becoming a social enterprise wasn’t a new direction—it was a recognition of how we’ve always operated.

To some, Totem Design House might look like a new chapter in my story. But for me, it’s always been a continuation. A weaving together of everything I’ve learned—through culture, through community, and through the teachings I carry with me.

A Life Shaped by Culture

My brother Jesse and I are Haida and Cree, and we grew up surrounded by the vibrant world of Northwest Coast Indigenous art. As teenagers, we were already immersed in it—whether helping our mom promote Native artwork or attending art show openings, urban feasts, and potlatches.

Our connection to art runs deep. Jesse’s early work was profoundly influenced by our family friend and distant relation, Bill Reid. One of his first commissions as a teen was painting a Bill Reid original. We were raised on the ocean as a commercial fishing family, but our greatest influences came from gatherings, ceremonies, and the cultural spaces we were lucky to grow up in.

So no—Totem Design House wasn’t a departure from who I was. It was a return. A full circle moment.

And that’s how we continue to walk this path: with care, with integrity, and always with our values at the centre.

About Copper Legacy Indigenous Empowerment Society

Copper Legacy is the non-profit arm of Totem Design House, founded in 2019 to formalize what we had already been living: a commitment to community, culture, and collective wellbeing.

We fund and support Indigenous-led initiatives focused on:

• Cultural revitalization

• Youth empowerment

• Traditional wellness practices

• Community events and gatherings

As an Indigenous Social Enterprise, a portion of every Totem Design House sale goes directly toward this work. Our business model isn’t just about commerce—it’s about contribution.

This is how we ensure that our success doesn’t just benefit us—it ripples outward, back into the communities that shaped us.

🔗 Learn more about our current projects or donate directly at copperlegacy.org