Re-introducing Manoomin Maple, a give-back tea that supports Indigenous communities through the Native Women’s Association of Canada.
For the past few years, we’ve been on a mission to deepen our connection to Indigenous communities and further our commitment to reconciliation. As part of this ongoing journey to spark powerful (and impactful) conversation across the tea industry, we’re focusing on three key pillars.
partnering
Hand-in-hand with Tea Horse, a woman-led, Indigenous-owned tea company, we bring you Manoomin Maple, a unique black tea blend featuring manoomin (meaning wild rice in Ojibwe) that’s harvested in the lakes of Northern Canada.Tea Horse was founded in 2017 by Denise Atkinson, who is Anishinaabe ikwe (meaning Ojibwe woman), and her partner, Marc Bohémier. Located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe Peoples in Northwestern Ontario, Tea Horse focuses on bringing people together through high-quality teas featuring roasted manoomin.
“Throughout our collaboration with DAVIDsTEA, all of
our interactions with the DT Team have been based on a reciprocal sharing of knowledge and ideas. From flavour direction and tastings to naming and marketing, it has been an authentic partnership.”
–Tea Horse
giving back
10% of proceeds from Manoomin Maple will go towards supporting the Native Women’s Association of Canada’s (NWAC) global mission to enhance, promote and foster the social, economic, cultural and political well-being of Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people and the families of many Indigenous nations.NWAC is a national Indigenous organization representing the political voice of Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, transgender and gender-diverse (WG2STGD+) people in Canada, inclusive of First Nations on- and- off reserve, status and non-status, disenfranchised, Métis and Inuit. This association is founded on the collective goal to enhance, promote and foster the social, economic, cultural and political well-being of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people within their respective communities and Canadian societies. Through advocacy, policy and programming focused on healing, economic empowerment and cultural reclamation, NWAC works to preserve Indigenous culture and advance the wellbeing of all Indigenous WG2STGD+ People, as well as their families and communities.
educating
We partnered with Reconciliation Education and First Nations University of Canada to offer all DAVIDsTEA employees customized anti-racist education course: 4 Seasons of Reconciliation in line with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action.The multi-media course provided a concise primer on truths and implications of the historical and contemporary relationships between Indigenous People and Canadian Settlers.
What is manoomin?
Manoomin (pronounced muh-NOH-min) means “wild rice” in Ojibwe while its literal translation is “the good seed.” Contrary to popular belief, this traditional, lndigenous ingredient is an entirely different species from the rice many of us grew up eating. And unlike most wild rice found on the market, Tea Horse’s manoomin is not cultivated. It is authentically harvested in the wild.How is it harvested?
This ancestral grain grows wild with no human manipulation. It’s hand-harvested in the remote landscape of Northern Canada, where the wilderness and shallow waterways meet. “In Indigenous cultures, leaves, roots, flowers and grains are infused to make tea. As an Indigenous-owned tea company, our use of manoomin (wild rice) as a key ingredient in our tea blends honours and carries on the traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America.”ㅤ–Tea Horse
Meet the artist
For this re-launch, we wanted to showcase the breathtaking work of Emily Kewageshig, an Anishinaabe woodland artist and visual storyteller from Saugeen First Nation No. 29. Her work captures the interconnection of life forms using both traditional and contemporary materials.
Positivitea at DAVIDsTEA
As a non-Indigenous brand and company, it’s important for us to share our tea love and amplify Indigenous voices and their businesses. Tea Horse’s emphasis on respecting and preserving the wild nature of their ingredients aligns with our core values: authenticity, sustainability and positivitea. And we couldn’t be more fortunate to have had this opportunity.“Working on this collaboration with Tea Horse has been such a rewarding experience, as we have been able to share our creativity, knowledge and passion for tea in Canada.”–Sarah Segal, CEO and CBO at DAVIDsTEA