Jaimie Davis is an award-winning versatile artist and an entrepreneur from the Gitx̱san & Nisga`a Nations, presently resides in the traditional Tsimshian territory of Laxyuubm Ts`msyen. Her award-winning business revives their culture through art and shares some of their cultures through wearable art. Since the launch of her online shop www.shopjada.com in 2018, she completed the three-year program at the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art with honours receiving the top position. She received the “Lieutenant Governor’s Medal” for her exceptional achievements in art and business studies. Davis is now the owner of Jada Creations, a fully indigenous company concentrating on designing genuine indigenous wearable art. She now holds the title of the “Best Solopreneur” as declared by Small Business BC.

What Led Her to Open Jada Creations?

Growing up on Terrace British Columbia, she had to face a lot of racism until she realized it was racism. At that time, this very thing was accepted as “normal” behaviour, but her culture was never commemorated. The following year, she wondered who was called First Nations, Native, Indian, or whatever colonizers labelled them. But since embarking on this journey as an artist, she has been out of the colonial structure and started learning her culture’s history. She picked up the pencil and regained her indigenous female identity. Her mission as a single mother is to construct a space where her son can grow without doubting his identity, thus she’s creating to keep the culture alive.

Two things led her to this point: her decision to devote her life to culture and raise her own son. Like many others, Davis was under pressure to pursue her traditional career.

Davis began as a weaver of cedar in 2003 and learned from Victoria Moody, a Haida Weaver. Ten years later, Davis launched her own cedar-woven jewelry business.

A More about Jada Creations

Jada Creations is aimed at everyone who backs indigenous cultures. Jaimie believes they need to be more aware as consumers. In other words, they are aware of the purchase and its source. A nice tip is to always go through the “About” section of the website. If it doesn’t have a clear indigenous affiliation, it’s probably a rip-off website.

This directly translates to helping to combat cultural appropriation. Louie Gong, one of Jaimie’s idols from Eighth Generation said that “Support inspired, not natively inspired ones’’.

What’s Jada Creations All about?

Jaimie Davis, an indigenous woman who grew up on a little reserve tried to share part of her culture with the world via wearable art. Since art is the language of her ancestors, it always speaks out a story. Thus her mission was to share this story with everyone who wears her jewelry or purchases her art.

The original jewelry design is made from the bark of cedar that she harvested sustainably and locally in her traditional territory. She believes that whenever people wear this jewelry, they are turning the cedar tree energy that has been metamorphosed into a wearable art piece. Since cedar is a revitalizing medicine and is considered to be one of the sacred medicines, it has healing power, thus giving people positive energy.

By weaving many cedar ropes, she makes her jewelry designs strong. This way she hopes her community to remain as a clan, a unit that’s strong and unbreakable. They must unite to protect their resources and lands, just like their ancestors did. They are the first guardians of Mother Earth and if they can return to the land, they can help restore balance, and with it, they can be strong and powerful.

For more information regarding Jaimie Davis and her online shop Jada Creations, you can scroll through their website https://www.shopjada.com/about-us and explore more.

For more such amazing features on women entrepreneurs in Canada, do not forget to subscribe to our monthly CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.