N.L. First Nations chief seeking a reversal of fur product ban on Etsy

In this April 10, 2019, photo, seamstress Vasso Gatsonis sews a fur coat at Pologeorgis Furs in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

OTTAWA — A Newfoundland and Labrador First Nations chief says the decision of a prominent online retailer to ban fur products is discriminatory against Indigenous artisans and traditions.

Etsy, which allows creators, artists and other sellers to create online marketplaces for their wares, says all products containing animal fur will be banned from the platform in August.

Chief Jenny Brake, leader of the Qalipu First Nation in western Newfoundland, says First Nations have been responsibly harvesting animals and using them in trade since time immemorial.

Brake says artisans from all over the country show pride in their traditional products, many of which are made with fur or other materials such as seal skin.

She introduced a resolution at this week’s Assembly of First Nations general assembly in Ottawa that would see the organization ask Etsy for a reversal.

Brake says the policy of Etsy, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, goes against the principles of truth and reconciliation.

“We hope that the AFN will have an opportunity to ask the folks at Etsy to reverse this decision and take the time to sit and talk with Indigenous people and understand fully how this impacts their lives,” Brake said in an interview Wednesday.