{"id":114993,"date":"2025-12-19T16:14:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T23:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.craftbeer.com\/?p=114993"},"modified":"2025-12-19T16:15:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T23:15:58","slug":"sovereign-nations-how-canadas-indigenous-brewers-are-making-craft-beer-their-own","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.craftbeer.com\/full-pour\/sovereign-nations-how-canadas-indigenous-brewers-are-making-craft-beer-their-own","title":{"rendered":"Sovereign Nations: How Canada\u2019s Indigenous Brewers Are Making Craft Beer Their Own\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

In March 2021, three Indigenous1<\/a><\/sup> brewers known as the Indigenous Brew Crew, or IBC, spearheaded the \u201cCelebrating Sisters\u201d craft beer campaign across Canada in support of Indigenous women. I was excited, and ready to buy some of the beers if they came to British Columbia. <\/p>\n

My optimism was well-intentioned but na\u00efve. Although I knew that alcohol has caused significant harm in many of Canada\u2019s Indigenous communities, I hadn\u2019t fully understood the deep pain some felt as they saw Indigenous folks embrace craft beer. <\/p>\n

Online, Indigenous users posted anguished criticisms alongside praise for the project. One Anishinaabe artist, Chief Lady Bird<\/a>, created a beautiful beer label for the campaign, a blackbird with wings spread across a woodland background sprinkled with stars, that prompted waves of both backlash and support. To her credit, she allowed space for hard conversations; she listened to concerns, explained her position, and thanked people for their feedback.<\/p>\n

As the controversy continued, both the IBC and Chief Lady Bird acknowledged the difficulty of reconciling alcohol with Canada\u2019s legacy of Indigenous exploitation. But there was no easy resolution. Months later, the IBC dissolved. Silence cloaked the issue again. <\/p>\n

But underneath that silence, Indigenous people are <\/em>part of this industry. I wanted to hear about this directly from them, in their own words. This is not an opinion piece; this is a spotlight on the experiences, desires, and intentions of some of the Indigenous people shaping Canadian beer today.<\/p>\n

A Dark History<\/h2>\n

Canada\u2019s 1876 Indian Act<\/a> expanded decades of legislation that supposedly protected Canada\u2019s First Nations by defining \u201cIndian\u201d identity, controlling where they could live, how they should maintain their land, how their government functioned, and more. In reality, these laws were designed to eliminate Indigenous identity and led to what Canada\u2019s 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission described as \u201ccultural genocide<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n

Under the Indian Act and similar laws, Canada excluded Indigenous people from the alcohol industry. If it wasn\u2019t non-alcoholic beer\u2014referred to as \u201cIndian Beer\u201d because of these laws\u2014they couldn\u2019t buy it, drink it, or vote on it. Settlers also used alcohol to upend Indigenous trading systems, which contributed to generational alcohol dependency. Rampant abuse of Indigenous peoples by church and government worsened the cycle of dependency, and the long history of Canada\u2019s residential schools<\/a> and, later, the \u201cSixties Scoop\u201d<\/a> inflicted deep psychological wounds. Alcohol offered relief in the face of irreparably fractured families and unchecked sexual exploitation and abuse. According to an article<\/a> by Anishinaabe professor Niigaan Sinclair, \u201calcohol has always existed in Indigenous communities\u2014many used forms of it in ceremonies and medicines\u2014but it\u2019s been used a great deal over the past few centuries to cope with trauma.\u201d<\/p>\n

Provincial and federal legislative changes<\/a> between the 1950s and 1980s opened alcohol to Indigenous people, but the damage from decades of exclusion and generations of dependency remains. These days, some Indigenous people support prohibition in the name of harm reduction. Others advocate for self-determination. Still others, despite the painful legacy, find reward in making something from the earth to share with friends and family.<\/p>\n

\"harvesting
Owners of Locality harvesting hops with owners of Brookswood Brewing. Melanie MacInnes second from right. Photo credit Ivan Eytzen<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brewing while Indigenous<\/h2>\n

This fraught history means that some Indigenous people feel conflicted about brewing, but the lack of debate around alcohol can, in itself, be destructive. However, Indigenous brewers and owners are expanding what craft beer is in Canada. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to see Indigenous people brewing. As Melanie MacInnes, a M\u00e9tis woman and co-owner of Langley, BC\u2019s Locality Brewing<\/a>, puts it, \u201cIndigenous people are the fabric of the country and should be represented in every business. Cultural diversity in craft beer can only enrich it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like many Indigenous brewery owners, MacInnes hasn\u2019t always defined her business as Indigenous. She describes her anxiety when she had to decide whether to accept a nomination for Best Indigenous-Led Business in the 2022 BC Food & Beverage Awards. The nomination email loomed in her inbox, unanswered.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I thought about replying I had a visceral response,\u201d MacInnes told me. \u201cIt scared the crap out of me. If I said yes to this, it meant that I was saying yes, Locality is owned and led by a M\u00e9tis woman. That\u2019s a huge responsibility. Was I ready to walk the walk?\u201d<\/p>\n

She was, and Locality won. MacInnes always knew that she wanted her family\u2019s land to be used as a place of gathering and growth, and being open about her M\u00e9tis identity connected her more closely to her business, her community, and her land.<\/p>\n

Darian Kovacs of Jelly Digital Marketing, who submitted the nomination, urges M\u00e9tis people to take pride in their culture. \u201cMany M\u00e9tis families\u2014including my own\u2014were encouraged to hide or feel shame about their identity,\u201d he says. \u201c[Melanie\u2019s pride in Locality] is a powerful reminder that M\u00e9tis culture is not only alive but thriving.\u201d <\/p>\n

Brewer Kevin Symington takes pride in his M\u00e9tis identity. While he\u2019s aware of the stereotypes surrounding Indigenous people and alcohol, he refuses to perpetuate them and rejects their shame. Instead, he focuses on how Indigenous perspectives can enrich the brewing industry. At Fernie Brewing Co<\/a>., he worked on the DEI committee to establish a relationship between the brewery and local Indigenous groups (the Elk Valley M\u00e9tis Nation and the Ktunaxa people) to advance truth and reconciliation. From there, he moved to Crannog Ales<\/a>, a farm brewery that has always prioritized inclusion and justice. \u201cTheir core values of respecting the land and [Indigenous] peoples\u2019 history make it a very welcoming and safe space,\u201d says Symington.<\/p>\n

Crannog is among many breweries that acknowledge they operate on Indigenous land. However, Quebec\u2019s Kahnawake Brewing<\/a> Company & Black Bridge Taproom is Canada\u2019s first openly Indigenous-owned craft brewery on Indigenous land. It draws on Indigenous history<\/a>: the \u201cblack bridge\u201d refers to the Saint-Laurent Railway Bridge, built in 1900 by the local Mohawk tribe together with French laborers. One of the Indigenous co-owners, Fred Leblanc, is a former ironworker himself. His simple desire to start a \u201cNative brewery\u201d that would be \u201cnot just for Natives but for everyone,\u201d<\/a> blossomed into an award-winning brewery: in 2024 and 2025, Kahnawake received multiple medals at the Canada Beer Cup. <\/p>\n

Matthew Sabourin, co-owner of La Brasserie Nonsuch Brewing Co<\/a>. in Winnipeg, has felt overwhelming support for his business, despite early hesitation from the M\u00e9tis business community. That hesitation disappeared when they saw what Nonsuch offered. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to create something very special for our province,\u201d he says. \u201cWe want to celebrate moments and experiences, not how many beers we can drink.\u201d For Sabourin, it\u2019s about making the best possible beer and doing so in a way that benefits the community.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sarabeth Holden and her family. Photo credit Sarabeth Holden<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Inuit brewer Sarabeth Holden, a children\u2019s book author<\/a> and co-owner of Red Tape Brewery<\/a> in Toronto, which specializes in bespoke beers, sometimes feels she isn\u2019t taken seriously in the industry. Occasionally she feels out of place in the local liquor store because she doesn\u2019t fit the \u201clook\u201d of a beer person, or she has to delegate a brewery business task to her husband because a tradesperson is brushing her off. However, she\u2019s felt nothing but support from her family and community. \u201cEven family members who don\u2019t drink are so happy for me,\u201d she says. \u201cThey buy my brewery\u2019s merch, they tell me they\u2019re proud of me.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Jason Tremblay Two Loons Brewing.
Photo credit Jason Tremblay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Jason Tremblay, a M\u00e9tis man and head brewer at Toronto\u2019s Two Loons Brewing<\/a>, also feels his community\u2019s support. However, he recognizes that because he\u2019s white-passing, he hasn\u2019t experienced the discrimination others may face. \u201cThere\u2019s privilege there,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t get the same side-eye that some First Nations brewers I know might receive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tremblay believes that the Indigenous entrepreneurial spirit has tempered some of the negative associations with alcohol. Government theft of M\u00e9tis lands in the 1870s \u201cforced many of us to hustle in plain sight to get to where we are now,\u201d he says. \u201cSome of that was owning bars and eventually owning breweries. It\u2019s fraught territory for everyone. But that entrepreneurial spirit is important.\u201d Both Tremblay and Sabourin credit the Manitoba M\u00e9tis Federation for supporting M\u00e9tis entrepreneurs. Farm Credit<\/a> Canada is another example of Indigenous-oriented financial infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Darnell Stager of Indigenous Tourism BC agrees that supporting Indigenous entrepreneurship is key. As a self-described \u201curban Indigenous,\u201d he\u2019s seen the ravages of alcohol. However, he views antagonism toward Indigenous brewers as a leftover legacy of economic gatekeeping that ultimately suppresses Indigenous sovereignty<\/a>. \u201cWard of the state,\u201d he said to me, eyebrow raised. \u201cThat\u2019s what my Indian status card says I am. It shows how much we need self-determination. Indigenous people need to be able to work in any industry they choose.\u201d <\/p>\n

Indigenous Beer?<\/h2>\n

The question of what makes a beer \u201cIndigenous\u201d has no easy answer. The ingredients? The brewer? The brewery? <\/p>\n

For MacInnes, it\u2019s the ethical use of land and Indigenous involvement in production and sourcing. For Sabourin at Nonsuch, it\u2019s inviting customers to get involved through events such as their Beer Bannock experience, where they can make bannock (a type of unleavened bread that\u2019s an important cultural symbol for many North American Indigenous peoples) with a Nonsuch beer of their choice while learning about Indigenous history, all under the large mural of Louis Riel<\/a>. Holden of Red Tape incorporates ingredients tied to Indigenous experience. Her amber ale is brewed with orange pekoe tea, a tribute to the time she spends hunting and fishing in the icy north. She also brews a popular Paunnat (the Inuktitut term for dwarf fireweed) Saison, which is only possible when the plant is in season.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Nadine Jopson. Photo credit Another Beer Co<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nadine Jopson, a member of the Cree Nation, co-founder of the now-defunct Another Beer Co. (ABC) in BC, and founder of Heartberry Soda<\/a>, developed the recipe for ABC\u2019s original Ask\u00ee Oci <\/a>saison, a beer made with alfalfa and spruce tips. With its ingredients and its M\u00e9tis-designed label, the beer symbolized Indigenous pride. The label\u2019s words signaled the importance of Indigenous independence around alcohol: \u201cWe will not allow the Indian Act\u2026to oppress us\u2014healing the relationship with alcohol as salve begins with us. [\u2026] We cheers to the strength of our people; both those who partake and abstain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indigenous Inclusion and Canadian Craft Beer<\/h2>\n

Good intentions aside, if you\u2019re not Indigenous, you can\u2019t dictate what inclusion looks like.<\/p>\n

Inclusion means more Indigenous people are involved in both ownership and production, as Jopson told me. Tremblay agrees: \u201cWe need to see more Indigenous folks working throughout the supply chain, from malt warehouses to hop suppliers.\u201d Symington expressed a similar sentiment, stating that Indigenous people \u201cshould be visible at all levels [of the beer industry].\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Inez Cook at Salmon n’ Bannock.
Photo Credit Inez Cook<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Inez Cook, co-founder of Vancouver\u2019s only Indigenous restaurant, Salmon n\u2019 Bannock, and a member of the Nuxalk Nation, prioritizes using Indigenous suppliers and chose Locality Brewing as her restaurant\u2019s beer partner for that reason. Locality, similarly, supports other Indigenous-owned businesses. <\/p>\n

However, breweries can do more to welcome the Indigenous community. \u201cAll businesses should go to the local tribal nation and introduce themselves,\u201d Cook suggests. \u201cCome as a person. Indigenous people do business with people, not with businesses.\u201d And if you\u2019re a brewery owner and haven\u2019t done that, it\u2019s not too late. \u201cYou can go, apologize, and start fresh,\u201d Cook says. \u201cActions and changed behavior create reconciliation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professor Sinclair acknowledges the complexity of Indigenous inclusion in craft beer, yet he knows it must be addressed. \u201cA basic teaching of the Anishinaabe is that we have to figure out a relationship with all things,\u201d he says. \u201cAlcohol has been a violent intrusion into our lives, yet it can have medicinal purposes. Beer comes from natural elements, so we need to figure out a relationship with it.\u201d It\u2019s not about encouraging consumption, but understanding Indigenous sovereignty. \u201cWe have to make our own decisions,\u201d he explains. \u201cHowever, sovereignty doesn\u2019t mean you get to do what you want. It comes with responsibility to avoid causing harm to others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sabourin has a simple outlook on inclusion: \u201cWe live by it. Be kind, respectful, open, curious. Give space for folks to share,\u201d he says. \u201cDon\u2019t shy away from the difficult conversations.\u201d  <\/p>\n

Break the silence, in other words. Avoid harm. Talk through the hard issues. Treat everyone with kindness. Respect the land. Prioritize people over profits. These were the values that my Indigenous interviewees identified as the path toward a more inclusive beer industry. I hope the craft beer community, currently in its moment of crisis, can slow down enough to listen to these voices. It just may be what saves us.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

The Brewers Association and CraftBeer.com are proud to support content that fosters a more diverse and inclusive craft beer community. This post was selected by the North American Guild of Beer Writers<\/a> as part of its Diversity in Beer Writing Grant series.<\/em><\/p>\n

1<\/a><\/sup> This article uses the Canadian definition of Indigenous, which includes three broad categories: First Nations, M\u00e9tis, and Inuit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Canada’s Indigenous brewers are navigating a complex legacy\u2014transforming an industry historically weaponized against their communities into a space for sovereignty and cultural 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