Cultural respect
Honour Indigenous identities, stories, and protocols in the presentation, sale, and use of artwork.
Our purpose
Art, relationship,
and responsibility.
MMDA is being built to support Indigenous artists and create respectful ways for their work to be represented in workplaces, institutions, and homes.
Red Painted Turtle Island
The name and the intention
A reflection of
where we come from.
The name Miskwaadesi M’Nauhan draws on the Anishinaabe and Mohican heritage of co-founders Patrick Dinsdale and J. Kyle Balsdon. Red Painted Turtle Island expresses resilience, reflection, and enduring cultural beauty.
The founders’ intention is to address barriers to market access, visibility, and fair compensation, while creating opportunities for Indigenous art to be meaningfully present in everyday spaces.
Our role is to support artists’ opportunities and listen carefully to their direction. The artist remains the source of the work’s meaning.
Meet Ajijaak Mu-He-KanMission & vision
Respectful
representation.
Lasting opportunity.
Our mission
To ethically promote, digitize, and distribute Indigenous art through an approach that centres artists, cultural preservation, and equitable compensation.
Our vision
A platform through which Indigenous artists can reach audiences nationally and internationally, with their voices, cultural context, and rights intact.
Economic Reconciliation in practice
We intend to connect the purchase and use of art with meaningful support for Indigenous creators. For organizations, that can be one part of a broader commitment to respectful relationships and Indigenous economic participation.
The commitments behind the work
Our values
in practice.
Integrity, reciprocity, respect, and responsibility guide how we intend to build MMDA.
Artist empowerment
Support emerging and established artists through visibility, professional presentation, and access to opportunity.
Authenticity
Represent artists and their work truthfully, with accurate attribution and context.
Fairness and equity
Work toward fair market pricing, clear agreements, and an understandable approach to compensation.
Reciprocity
Build relationships in which artists’ rights, voices, and visions shape the opportunity.
Integrity
Use consent, transparent communication, accurate records, and accountability to guide our work.
Reconciliation through action
Create pathways for Indigenous art and artists to be present and valued in public, professional, and private spaces.
Philosophical guidance
Teachings that
guide our approach.
Love, Truth, Respect, Wisdom, Humility, Honesty, and Bravery.
MMDA’s core values recognize a relationship with the Seven Grandfather Teachings. We offer this as guidance for our own work, while respecting the distinct teachings and experiences of different Indigenous Nations.
The principles of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent are central to our intended approach. Artists should understand and agree to how their work, images, and stories will be used.
Read our Declaration of Intentions (PDF)Let’s build this together
Your voice belongs in this conversation.
We welcome conversations with Indigenous artists, communities, and people who share our intention.