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\n\nMya Beaudry is 15 years old and already six years into owning her business, Kokom Scrunchies. Beaudry is Algonquin from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, an identity she says is a big part of who she is and “at the heart of Kokom Scrunchies.”
\n\nBeaudry’s mother, Marcie, taught her to sew at nine years old as a creative way to raise money and host Indigenous youth events in her community. She began making scrunchies from fabric inspired by the floral scarves commonly worn by kokoms, which means “grandmother” in Algonquin, says Beaudry.
\n\nIndigenous peoples speak more than 4,000 of the world’s approximately 6,700 languages, but the United Nations estimates that one Indigenous language dies every two weeks. Many of the Indigenous business owners I spoke to say languages are central to Indigenous peoples’ identities, cultures and worldviews, and several on this list incorporate their cultures, traditions and communities into their work.
\n\nLike Beaudry, many Indigenous business owners on this list draw inspiration from their Indigenous identities and traditions. In the United States, November is Native American…
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