Our Story "The fire that drives us forward"

The Fire That Drives Us Forward

Ember Spirit Apparel was born from a walk — the Red Road — and a search for identity that many Newfoundland families know all too well.

My name is Patricia Chipp. I am a non-status Newfoundlander, still piecing together my family’s Mi’kmaq heritage in one of the hardest provinces in Canada to obtain Indigenous recognition. The Crown spent generations erasing what our people carried — but they couldn’t erase the words my mother spoke, the recipes passed down, or the stories of injustice our family felt personally, like the wrongful conviction of Donald Marshall Jr., a wound that touched Indigenous communities across this land.

Today I walk the Red Road. I teach my children the 7 Grandfather Teachings — Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth. My partner carries status, and together we are building something bigger than a clothing brand. We are building a bridge between those who came before us and the 7 generations ahead.

Ember Spirit Apparel is that bridge.

We create culture-inspired apparel rooted in Indigenous teachings and open to every heritage — because we are all connected. We believe young people deserve a way to remember the stories of their own history — the sacred ones, the difficult ones, and yes, the funny ones too. The moments that make us human. The moments that make us who we are.

Our dream is to sit with elders, listen to their teachings, and translate those stories into original designs — wearable pieces of living history that keep communities connected across generations.

This brand is for our children. For your children. For the 7 generations ahead who deserve to know where they came from and why it still matters.

Miigwech. Thank you for being here.

— Patricia Chipp, Founder
Ember Spirit Apparel