Meet Rita Bear

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rita Bear. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rita below.

Rita, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

“The world is not Rainbows and Butterflies Rita, You’re going to have a hard time in this world and you better get use to it.”
I can still hear that speech as if it was yesterday. It was brutal but advice none the less of the upcoming reality of what was to come.
I was born mixed in a Colonial System. I’d be walking in two worlds with many real life altering hurdles ahead,
Confidence comes naturally to some like a Bird to song. This was not my case.
I didn’t talk till I was about 5 and had a speech impediment. I had low self esteem until my early teens. I didn’t feel I could relate to my peers and struggled in school academically.
I was effectively on my own at 14 and I I grew up fast, aka Character Building. My confidence and low self esteem changed drastically after this.
I grew a backbone that would help shape my future.
I learned I had Grit and refused to give my power away to anyone that tried to make me feel like I didn’t belong in a space due to my age, ethnicity or just plain made to feel “I was to much”.
I went from being a voiceless shy young kid to being a strong Independent young woman in a matter of a few years.
Self Esteem for me was trial and error, however by the time my 20’s came I was self assured and thriving. I traveled the world solo on my own dime. I learned to be uncomfortable with the unknown, Confidence comes in many forms and everyone’s journey is different but mine comes down to survival and learning the struggle was nothing but love. Learning to look in the mirror and forgiving myself for my short comings and to be kinder to myself and saying yes to a new adventures and not to be afraid.
Confidence for me is knowing I Beat all the odds and I continue to march forward with my head held high.. preferably with a coffee in my hand for the extra pep in my step!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I can’t remember a time I wasn’t creating. If it wasn’t drawing, sewing and designing clothes I was day dreaming about my next project. I remember also setting up a business venture at home at the age of 8 selling candy and Chips to my family and bringing the profits to the store to reinvest and stock up on goods and expand my enterprise at school. After 20 years working in the Restaurant Industry I walked away. Now that I am looking back at my side business as a kid I shouldn’t be so0 surprised I took the leap to start my own small business, and took the risk to invest in my creative side and venture into the e-commerce world. I still feel new and have so much to learn but I feel really supported by people all over Turtle Island and it feels like a blessing I am able to do something I love. I wanted to create affordable and size Inclusive wear that has native flair and be wearable art.

I choose Nikikw ( neh-geek) as a Business Name because it means Otter in Cree. These beautiful animals survived so much. Otters are energetic and playful with great humor and they value relationships. They are protective of each other. Attributes I admire and see in my own people.
I feel very blessed. When I think of the future I aim to keep growing and in doing so making larger donations to the community. I’d like in the future to build partnerships and meaningful relationships that can help lift up our communities throughout Turtle Island.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Curiosity- I was always curious in learning about the world. I would sit and read boxes of national geographics for days on end as a child. I was fascinated with how people lived across the world. I was also curious about my own families histories and traditions. I had a hunger to try new things and be curious vs. being indifferent and learning to be open to new opportunities and meeting new people. Staying curious helps me be open to learning more about myself and those around me.

Creativity- In the darkest of times I could escape and create beautiful things. It recharged my soul and continues to do so. Creativity makes me feel balanced.

Knowledge- Always reading, listening and learning. If I don’t know something I do my best to understand it. Sometimes you don’t think these skill sets will add up to much but you never know where you can apply it down the road in your own life or business. Striving to learn about anything and everything is important to me.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

I can’t say I’ve had a mentor but I can say I’ve met people throughout the years working in the hospitality Industry that have made an impression on me. The good , the bad and the ugly. I’ve had the privilege of working in close proximity with people from every walk of life and social standing. That exposure to so many people coming from different backgrounds shapes you without you realizing it at the time, Sometimes those mentors turn out to be people you’d least expect and you don’t realize there impact on you till later in life, I think we can learn from every single person if we have a closer look. If you want to build essential life skills fast ( patience and building EQ) , working in a restaurant for 6 months would do the trick. If you want a degree in Psychology become a bartender.

My Husband gets a honorable mention when it comes to over coming challenges because he has been the first person in my life I could ever rely on. He supports me and has stopped me from abandoning my dreams and pushes me forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nikikw.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikikw.indigenous/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikikw.designs

Image Credits

Peach Fuzz @ Instagram for Star Pencil Skirt Set