Indigenous Women's Conference
Fall Festival and Marketplace
November 8th & 9th, 2025 | St.Laurent Shopping Centre, Ottawa
70+ Vendors, Performances and more!
2024 Fall Festival and Marketplace Highlights
Vendors
Over 70 vendors! Get your Christmas list filled and support Indigenous women!
Some vendors are: Millside Ceramics, Pass The Feather, Fox and Feathers, Anna Thompson, Kelly Nahwegahbow Marsolais and her beautiful Momma, Marjorie Skidders, Sarah Fraser and her mom Karen Starr, Elana from Miigwetchgifts, Vanessa Brousseau of Resilient Inuk, Paula Naponse, Tealey Products and more!
Performances
2024 (soon to be updated to 2025) Saturday Oct 28th:
11am Opening Greetings and Gratitudes with Kaienahá:wis Jonel Beauvais
11:15 am: Throat Singers, Tracy Sarazin and Kendra Tagoona
12 pm: Hoop Dancer, Makhena Rankin Guerin
1 pm: Métis Dance Troupe, Lyons Sisters
3 pm: Singer & Songwriter, Karonhianonha Mikayla Francis
6 pm: Hoop Dancer, Makhena Rankin Guerin
7 pm: Throat Singers, Tracy Sarazin and Kendra Tagoona
Sunday Oct 29th:
11am: Opening Greetings with Kaienahá:wis Jonel Beauvais & Opening Gratitudes: Akwesasne Freedom School
11:15: Akwesasne Freedom School Round Dance
12pm: Singer & Songwriter, Theresa Bear Fox
1pm: Métis Dance Troupe, Lyons Sisters
2pm: Hoop Dancer, Feryn King
3pm: Singer & Songwriter, Karonhianonha Mikayla Francis
4pm: Fundraising Sale Winners announced and closing gratitudes
Purse Drive
Together, Millside Ceramics and Pass The Feather will host a purse drive for Indigenous women affected by environmental and financial devastation. Please bring us a purse and fill it with tampons, pads, dental hygiene products, skin care and other health care needs.
We are also looking for donations to ship to the north and the Indigenous Arts Collective of Canada can provide official tax receipts!
Akwesasne Freedom School Fundraising
The Akwesasne Freedom School is the Akwesasne community’s only private full-Mohawk immersion school. It began as a grassroots effort in 1979 and continues to provide our children with language and culture-based instruction. Through language, the Akwesasne Freedom School supports each child to learn their roles and responsibilities as Haudenosaunee through an understanding of the Ohen:ton Kariwahtehkwen as the core of their learning experience.
Silent Auction
A great idea by my big sister, Nanci Ransom of Akwesasne! Each vendor will donate one item to our silent auction and you can buy your tickets to win!
Winners will be announced Sunday at 4pm and you must be there to pick up your win!
Do you have a favourite vendor? Be there early to get your tickets in!
Art Demonstrations
We are super excited to have Akwesasne artists demonstrating traditional art forms on Saturday and Sunday from 9am-5pm. Come and meet...
Carrie Hill, master basket maker. Natasha Smoke Santiago painter and traditional clay pottery maker & Kaherisakhe Henry with her traditional teachings and no face (corn husk) doll workshop.
Workshops
Due to funding (mis)arrangements, workshops were not able to take place in October at Willis College | St.Laurent Shopping Centre this year. But we had lots of interactive demonstrations and workshops began at a later date!
Hosted by: Kaienahá:wis Jonel Beauvais
Jonel is Wolf Clan of Mohawks of Akwesasne, proud mother of three and chosen auntie to many. Jonel works diligently to empower and induce healing within all Native/Indigenous communities in order to prosper in the Haudenosaunee teachings of good medicine and good minds. Jonel supports Kahwatsiraien:ton families of Ohero:kon and is founder of the ‘Tiny Home Project” which provides support for those re-entering back into their families and the community. She is an advocate, changemaker and powerful voice. welcomehomecircle.org
Presentation Workshops
We offer much gratitude to Samantha Doxtator, Oneida Nation for her presentations and celestial workshops in Oshweken, Tyendinaga, Kahnawake, Kahnesetake and Akwesasne! It was a lot of work but we brought the teachings to the communities!
Indigenous Women's Arts Conference
In taking inspiration from the Haudenosaunee Seventh Generation Principle, this conference serves to preserve and revitalize endangered Indigenous art forms and enrich lives through Indigenous arts and cultures.
This gathering [re]connects and empowers Indigenous women by promoting the transfer and conservation of cultural knowledge; securing the capacity for the next seven generations to retain and cultivate intrinsic Indigenous world views.
The St.Laurent Shopping Centre has offered full sponsorship of the Indigenous Arts Marketplace!
Niawenkowa to Willis College, Morguard and the St.Laurent Centre for their generosity!
The 2025 Indigenous Women's Arts Conference will hold the Indigenous Arts Marketplace at the St.Laurent Shopping Centre on November 8th and 9th, 2025!
St.Laurent Shopping Centre is located here:
Indigenous Arts Marketplace
Everyone is welcome to SHOP!
Over 80 vendors and cultural performances!
All vendors are First Nations, Métis and/or Inuit and are vetted and members of the IACC.
All products are hand made. No medicines or sacred items can be sold.
November 8th & 9th, 2025 | St.Laurent Shopping Centre, Ottawa
Indigenous Arts Marketplace
Everyone is welcome to SHOP! Over 80 vendors and cultural performances all day!
Vendors space for IACC Members. To apply for IACC Membership:
All vendors are First Nations, Métis or Inuit and are vetted and members of the IACC. All products are hand made. No medicines or sacred items can be sold. Preference given to women.
Recommended Hotels Near St.Laurent Shopping Centre
Coming Soon
We DO NOT recommend the Holiday Inn Ottawa East or the Comfort Inn.
Holiday Inn Ottawa East is not safe for Indigenous women. In 2022 we experienced bed bugs, racism and the police were called for an assault on one of our artists. We stood strong and received a full refund after seeking legal advice.
