A First Nations clothing designer is now one step closer to getting her designs on a national stage.
Devon Fiddler, the founder of SheNative, is one of eight young people from across Canada who has been chosen for Michaëlle Jean Foundation Young Arts Entrepreneur program funding.
Fiddler is from the Waterhen Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan and she received start-up capital of $7,500 for her business.
She says she was excited when she heard the news she had been selected for program funding.
“I was pretty happy,” she says. “I kind of think I just had this internal instinct that I would get it so I was pretty excited but not surprised.”
SheNative is a brand of handbags and accessories dedicated to empowering Indigenous women in Canada.
Fiddler says she also plans on empowering Indigenous women by providing them with positive opportunities to be part of her business.
“We are also starting a production facility here in the city (Saskatoon) where we will be hiring Indigenous women to help produce our handbags. We will also be working with Aboriginal artists and designers to help in the collaborative process of our handbags.”
Fiddler has also been chosen to participate in the Start-up Generation Global Fellowship program.