Canadian discount retailer Dollarama is coming under fire by indigenous rights activists who are accusing the company of appropriating their culture by placing dreamcatchers alongside Canada 150 items on store shelves.
created by grassroots indigenous activists in Stouffville, Ont., just north of Toronto, are calling on the retail chain to stop hanging the dreamcatchers amongst the Canada 150 flags, buttons and other souvenirs.
One of those activists, Jamie McGean from the Kanienâkeha First Nation, told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel on Wednesday that heâs accustomed to seeing kitschy dreamcatchers sold at Dollarama and in other stores for a long time now, but that he takes issue with their placement among the Canada 150 merchandise because it implies that indigenous people are supporting those celebrations.
âWeâre not celebrating Canada 150,â McGean said. âWeâre celebrating 150 years on stolen land. Itâs actually been over 500 years of broken treaties.â
McGean said heâs not aware of too many other indigenous people planning on commemorating Canadaâs 150th anniversary of confederation on July 1.
The petitioners wrote that they donât have a problem with non-indigenous people owning dreamcatchers or other items from their culture, but that they wish people would buy products from indigenous sources.
âWhat we are encouraging is that people purchase authentic items rather than those mass-produced by multi-million dollar corporations,â the online petition stated.
Dollarama responded to the activistsâ protests with an emailed statement that said they would continue to sell the dreamcatchers because they are âvery popular among customers across Canadaâ and because this was an âisolated complaint.â
Lyla Radmanovich, a spokesperson for Dollarama, told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ in a written statement that the company is aware of the customersâ feedback and that itâs been shared with the âappropriate department.â
McGean said he was âdumbfoundedâ by the dollar storeâs response to their grievances.
âThe company is literally saying to me that theyâre choosing profits over people and thatâs wrong,â he said.
The grassroots activist said indigenous groups across North America have been actively fighting against cultural appropriation for many years.
âNot too long ago we had the Halloween costumes that were a big controversy,â McGean said. âItâs the same thing over and over again.â
As of Thursday morning, has received 1,784 signatures for their goal of 2,500.
Wondering how this was manufactured and how it supports communities? Guessing it's just
â Erin Derksen (@airinld)
$2.00 dreamcatcher found in the "Canadian section" of Dollarama
â Dallas Hunt (@Dallas_Hunt)