New Indigenous tattoo parlour and gallery aims to defeat 'stigmas and stereotypes'

Inside his newly-opened tattoo parlour on JarvisStreet,Toby Sicksdraws an intricate tree design on a customer's arm as the buzz of his tattoo machine fillsthe small space.

"The tree is rooted,so it has a long history behind it. It means something to culture and tradition," he explainedwhile filling in the tree's black outline.

Culture and tradition are at the core of Sicks' new business endeavour,Inkdigenous Tattoo, which opened in Moss Parkon Sunday.

• 3 places where you can discover Toronto's Indigenous history
• Toronto gallery cancels show after concerns artist 'bastardizes' Indigenous art

Sicks poured his own money into the business and spent a month setting it up, transforming the little shop he leased from a run-down space into a renovated tattoo parlour and gallery,where the white walls are now lined with paintings.

"If it's painting, if it's merchandise, if it's tattoos, it's all done by Indigenous people," Sickssaid.

Butit'salso much more than a tattoo parlour, he said.

The shop is meant tobe a safe haven and educational space, he explained.

A place where a member of Toronto's Indigenous community can learn more about their culture. A place where someone new to the city from Thunder Bay can find out where to turn for shelter or Indigenous services. A place where non-Indigenous customers can gain newfound understanding of Indigenous artworkand "defeat the stigmas and stereotypes."

First Nations, Metis and Inuit people all have a home in the shop and gallery,said resident artist NyleMiigiziJohnston, an Anishinaabe visual storyteller, painterand tattoo designer.

New Indigenous tattoo parlour

7 years ago

Duration 2:06

New Indigenous tattoo parlour, Inkdigenous Tattoo studio, has recently opened in Toronto's Moss Park neighbourhood.

• What is the significance of acknowledging the Indigenous land we stand on?

"But at the same time, we're all part of a global community, and we're all trying to learn together," he added. "It's an open space for everybody."

Anyone can "come in with a good mind and a good heart" and ask questions though some of those questions haveanswers rooted in Canada's dark history.

"Five hundredyears of intergenerational trauma, 500 years of lost language, cultureand tradition, has made a huge gap in the development of Indigenous people," said Sicks. "We were on idle because we were still just trying to feel the impacts of what was going on."

There's an underlying element of activism in Sicks' and Johnston's work, as well. They say a portion of sales are going towards an Indigenous language and culture camp, and they're also launching a fundraising campaign for Missing and Murdered Indigenous women later this month.

But above all, the focus is on sharing Indigenous stories through art.

• Missing&Murdered: The Unsolved Cases of Indigenous Women and Girls

"We're reliving our way of life the way it's supposed to be,"Sickssaid. "Identity is a huge part of growing in society, and who you are as a person. If you have a lost identitythen who are you?"

Said Johnston: "We need to not be afraid to share our stories, because they're beautiful."