About Us
We are Anishinaabe Bimishimo
Here is a little history on Anishinaabe Bimishimo Corporation.
In 2017, Emilie McKinney wanted to make a jingle dress. We (Natalie Foidart, her mom and Émilie McKinney) called our local supplier to get jingles and he explained that he has since retired. There is no one locally who makes them so Émilie decided that she wanted to make locally made and available jingles.
Émilie then drew up a logo and a five year plan so that she could be the new Canadian manufacturer, supplier and designer of jingles and worked closely with her mom, Natalie Foidart to get her business started. She wanted to start a business with a name that truly represented and reflected who she was. After researching various meanings to words and careful consideration, she chose Anishinaabe (it’s who she is, a Native Canadian, First Nation Person) Bimishimo (dancing by) Corporation. Her logo has special meaning as well.
To Émilie, the outer circle represents the world around us in full circle and the inner circle is a reminder of the full circle within ourselves. The tipi symbolizes home, family, where the heart is and the open tipi door welcomes ideas, hope, dreams, dance and people. The medicine wheel is a reminder to follow and never forget the sacred teachings including being humble, asking for help when needed and to show appreciation when it is given. Anishinaabe Bimishimo is written because it represents her and the feathers on either end. Feathers are used in prayer, for smudging, and in regalia.
Émilie’s dream of creating and producing locally made jingles is just starting out and she hopes to soon meet her goals of giving back to her community, Swan Lake First Nation, creating jobs for local band members, and leasing a Band building with 3 phase power where manufacturing of jingles can be done. In addition to creating local jobs, Émilie supports local businesses by purchasing everything from the machinery to the packaging to the material needed to make jingles from as many local vendors as possible.
The first line of Jingles is nearing production and will include child and adult size nickel-plated Old-Style lids and jingles that darken over time. The next line will be the contemporary coated lids and jingles, silver, gold and copper colors. She invented Red Jingles Cones with a purpose to bring awareness to MMIWG2S followed by Turquoise Jingle Cones to bring awareness to Intergenerational Trauma and Addictions that’s found amongst Indigenous Peoples in North America.