Buy a Unique Gift this Holiday Season and Support Aboriginal Youth Across Canada

Nov 13, 2008

Today Aboriginal youth from Vancouver modelled T-shirts, hoodies, ball caps and bags from a new line of authentic Aboriginal merchandise. The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) hosted the fashion show at the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver to showcase the latest products of the Vancouver 2010 Aboriginal Licensing and Merchandising Program.

The authentic Aboriginal collection includes clothing, accessories and giftware that are available at the Olympic store at vancouver2010.com, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) kiosks, and The Olympic store at The Bay downtown Vancouver and Hbc stores across Canada.

Why buy Aboriginal products to support the Games?

Building on the commitment of unprecedented Aboriginal participation, VANOC and the FHFN worked together to create this program to showcase excellence in art and design, enhance the overall Vancouver 2010 Olympic merchandising program and leave a legacy for First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth in Canada. The Vancouver 2010 Aboriginal Licensing and Merchandising Program is also the first program of its kind for an Olympic Games host committee.

By buying these products, consumers support Aboriginal youth across Canada. VANOC donates a portion of its royalties from the sale of Aboriginal products to the Vancouver 2010 Aboriginal Youth Legacy Fund. This fund supports sport, culture, sustainability and education initiatives for Aboriginal youth as a legacy of the 2010 Winter Games. The FHFN and VANOC have selected 2010 Legacies Now as the trustee for the fund, which will become accessible to candidate Aboriginal youth organizations in the FHFN and other First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth organizations across Canada after the Games.

Buy authentic

With the purchase of 2010 Aboriginal merchandise, consumers will commemorate the Games with an authentic and unique piece of Aboriginal art or design. It was important for VANOC and the FHFN to bring awareness to the importance of authenticity, ensuring that all Aboriginal designs and products included in the program are designed by or in collaboration with an Aboriginal person. Look for the FHFN logo on the hang tag to ensure authenticity.

Aboriginal Graphics program

The Vancouver 2010 Aboriginal Graphics are a great example of how the Games promote authenticity. VANOC, in collaboration with the FHFN, commissioned an Aboriginal artist from the Squamish Nation, Xwa lack tun, to work with the Games’ design team and product some “fusion graphics” known as the Vancouver 2010 Aboriginal graphics. These graphics have been provided to VANOC’s licensees who have produced much of the products available today.

Visit the Sustainability in Action story Creative Fusion to learn more about Xwa lack tun and the work behind 2010 Aboriginal Graphics.

The most recent addition to the Aboriginal Graphics Program is a line of products that focuses on the FHFN logo and brand. Using a distinctive colour palette, First Nations artist, Jody Broomfield, created a logo design that reflects the unique cultures and spirit of the Four Host First Nations.