Treaty Relations

4 trcm.ca TREATY RELATIoNs CoMMIssIoN oF MANIToBA Manitobah Mukluks: every fooTprinT Tells a sTory By Holli monCRieFF FoR tHe FRee PRess SEan mCCormiCk of manitobah muklukS ShowS off thE Company'S produCtS. Photo by Darcy Finley M any would love to follow in the footsteps of Sean McCormick. The founder of Manitobah Mukluks has created a worldwide sensation and become a true homegrown success story. "Our goal is to make an impact in Aboriginal communities – to build a brand that Aboriginal people can feel proud of and be a part of, so that Canada's Ab- original community can have a future full of excitement and self-fulfilment. My goal is to play a role in making that happen," said McCormick, who was inspired by his mother to start Manitobah Mukluks with his sister heather McCormick. their business continues to grow. McCormick said Manitobah Mukluks saw a 50 per cent increase in sales last year, which is an anomaly in an industry where growth is not the trend. "We're the fastest-growing footwear brand in Canada and, as we grow, so does our community impact. We saw a great example of that this year when we partnered with MEDo (Métis Economic Development organiza- tion) to establish a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Winnipeg. through that initiative alone, we'll contribute $2 million to the Aboriginal community," McCormick said. From its beginnings in 1990 as a Winnipeg trading post, Manitobah Mukluks has built a brand around high- quality products that are made authentically. "our authenticity and story are what set us apart. unlike other brands, we're Aboriginal-owned. We have a real connection to the traditional footwear designs of our ancestors," said McCormick. "And unlike other companies, we dedicate our brand experience to making our history known and sustaining the fading art forms of our ancestors. Every pair of Manitobah Mukluks contains a dream to build capacity in Aboriginal communities. to me that makes all the difference in the world." in 1997, the McCormick siblings registered a Cana- dian corporation and began manufacturing Aboriginal footwear. By 2006, hollywood celebrities were photo- graphed wearing their products, which put the com- pany on an international stage. "it's been challenging to compete at a global level with mass manufacturers. our footwear is created one hour at a time, meaning our staff can complete a maxi- mum of eight pairs per day. so we've had to change our production model to remain competitive at retail," McCormick said. Each of the company's products speaks to tradition in a different way. storyboots are one-of-a-kind mukluks and moccasins handcrafted in the traditional way by Ab- original Elders and artisans. the Elders receive 100 per cent of the proceeds from every storyboot sold. "Aboriginal people created footwear tailored to their environment, which is what makes them such great shoes for today. to honour that tradition, we use the same cus- tom beadwork, leather etching and natural materials used by our ancestors, while utilizing modern materials

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