The Moose Hide Campaign is pleased to announce their new relationship with Mother Earth Recycling, who will provide the production and distribution of moose hide pins, which have become a symbol of action to end violence towards women, children, and all those along the gender continuum.
Daughter and father, Raven and Paul Lacerte were inspired to start the Moose Hide Campaign in 2011 after a moose-hunt in their Carrier traditional territory along the Highway of Tears. This tragic name was coined for the many murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit individuals (MMIWG2S+) along its 725km length. The potential to discover human remains while in the wilderness had become a sad reality for those living within its shadow.
Reflecting upon this during their hunting trip, coupled with a desire to overcome a sense of helplessness, Raven and Paul were inspired to cut up tiny squares of moose hide – considered a piece medicine in their Indigenous culture. Raven then gifted out the moose hide pins with hand-written cards asking people to wear it as a symbol of healing and their personal commitment to end violence towards those most vulnerable in our society.
From this initial spark, the Moose Hide Campaign blossomed as an Indigenous-led grassroots movement for men and boys, gaining national awareness and momentum, having now distributed over 5-million pins across Canada.
“We have been big supporters of the Moose Hide Campaign for years, as it represents everything that we stand for,” said Sean McCormick, Chairperson of Mother Earth Recycling, based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
“Almost the entire team at Mother Earth Recycling identify as Indigenous. We strive to create a safe and welcoming environment and want to ensure their wellbeing – especially as our community continues to struggle with the crisis of MMIWG2S+ today.”
Mother Earth Recycling is an Indigenous Social Enterprise which began in 2012 as a partnership between Neeginan Centre, the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development, and the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg. It has become a place for community members to find training and job opportunities, while providing much-needed services to the city and other major clients.
The agreement to produce moose hide pins has created 10 new positions at Mother Earth Recycling, which is projected to then grow to 20 positions in year two.
“Mother Earth Recycling is an ideal partner for us,” said David Stevenson, CEO of the Moose Hide Campaign. “Not only do they provide quality services that help us continue to spread the medicine, but this work also provides meaningful training and employment opportunities to the urban Indigenous community.”
Mother Earth Recycling has also built a legacy of operations that are sustainable and environmentally responsible. The moose hides are ethically harvested from hunters that nourish their families with the meat. Using these hides for pins ensures that no part of the animal is ever wasted, which aligns with the Indigenous values of the Moose Hide Campaign. There is also the option to order a vegan version of moose hide pins.
“We would also like to thank the amazing team that had been making pins for us in Victoria, B.C., where we are headquartered,” continued David Stevenson. “We have employed many Indigenous people who produced them with love and care over the years.”
“The production of pins was born out of a necessity, as nobody else could provide this unique service to us. However, having a partner with the environmental and logistical expertise of Mother Earth Recycling allows our team to focus on spreading the message of the campaign.”
For those who prefer non-leather pins, the Moose Hide Campaign also has HyphaLite TC which is a breakthrough innovation in biobased fashion materials that aims to replace petrochemical-based synthetics and ease global plastic pollution. Composed of regenerative materials such as mushrooms, natural polymers and non-woven reinforcement, it is 100% biobased, plastic-free and biodegradable. It adheres to ISA’s trademarked LITE manufacturing system, minimizing carbon footprint, water, and chemical consumption during production. Meeting the KPIs for the fashion industry, it is one of the most developed biobased materials on the market that is fully scaleable in production.
If you would like to order your free gift of Indigenous medicine, you can visit the Moose Hide Campaign web site: www.moosehidecampaign.ca/pins
To learn more about Mother Earth Recycling, please visit: www.motherearthrecycling.ca
