Dbaajmowin

Where Indigenous stories shape the spaces we belong to

Our Story

Dbaajmowin (story/narrative, Ojibwe Eastern and Odawa dialect) is an Indigenous-led artist collective that evolved through a sharing of conversations about creating places for people, and the need for Indigenous designs and stories in this work.

The designs, the stories, and the people behind them are all rooted in Indigenous Nations across Turtle Island. We honour that connection in everything we make and owe it to the land we live on to prioritize sustainable practices.

We are the Land and the Land is us.

Artists and Designers are the foundation of everything that gets built through Dbaajmowin.

Throughout the process and production, the artist’s voice is centered in creating meaningful pieces.

Artists as Storytellers.

Our role is to create the conditions for artists to share their work with the world while ensuring their communities retain the meaning and dignity of what is shared. Whether it’s our story or someone else’s, sharing with purpose is integral to protect all communities.

We hold these stories with care, not ownership.

Each creation is inspired and shaped by the stories that influence the artist and their Nation.

These artists are recognized for their work and benefit from our partnership, with full context and authorship intact.

Every design is presented as the artist intended.

Dbaajmowin centers Indigenous awareness through meaningful place-based storytelling.

Art rooted in Land and Story

Celebrating Indigenous creativity, culture, and community.

01
Intentional
Connection

02
Collaborative
Design

03
Expert
Facilitation

Our goal is to create spaces where stories can be shared for generations. These stories have lasting impacts on communities and public spaces where connection is a road that leads to learning.

  • Jacques Baril

    “I am the hunter becoming a light breeze lifting each leaf. I am the hunted in brown and green earth, swallowing the hunter's footsteps. In this warlike paradox, history only exists through the symbiosis of the protagonists. Each of the hunts changes my story, recognizing it and naming it, it's my work as an artist. It is therefore the story of the paradoxes that punctuate my life that my works tell. Thus, becoming a predator of my work, I consume its essence to acquire the virtues of what I have not controlled.” - Jacques Baril, former member of Dbaajmowin

Let’s work together