A Contemporary Homage to Cree Artisanship in Old Montreal

Up a set of stairs in Old Montreal awaits a contemporary ode to Cree artisanship. Taking its name from the Cree word for hello, the online store Wachiya, which specializes in Cree arts and crafts from the Eeyou Istchee, or James Bay area, opened a bricks-and-mortar store last summer.

Designed by the Montreal interior design firm Clairoux, the space is part gallery, part boutique. But, says Clairoux’s lead interior designer and founder Frédric Clairoux, “The first thing is education. It’s not a store of accessories—it’s a store of creators.”

And while there are plenty of shops around Old Montreal that tout Indigenous goods, Clairoux says that closer inspection reveals many items are made in China. “The stores are overwhelmed with tourist stuff, but it’s not pretty.”

Enter Wachiya, which was designed in collaboration with the Cree Native Arts & Crafts Association and where each piece—the careful handiwork of a Cree artist—is given the space and reverence it deserves. “They wanted to present their product more as a fine art gallery and express the process to create one piece to give more value to their creativity,” Clairoux explains.

To maintain an emphasis on the artwork, Clairoux kept the rest of the interiors understated, with pale wood flooring and white walls and display plinths. “Our artists, they work hard to create their art. They want to have a showcase that reflects their way of thinking,” he says. “We wanted to be very, very subtle, to shape the space in a neutral way, so everything in colour is their product.”

One exception is the green line—an interpretation of nature—that begins outside the store and twists and twirls, guiding shoppers through the space all the way to the back, where a video of a northern Canadian landscape is projected. “You’re driven into the space with that continuative line,” Clairoux says. “We wanted to bring the tourists to walk slowly into the space, discover slowly the interest in the creation, and give more value to it.”

Pine shelves and real tree posts sourced from Cree forests incorporate the aromas of wooded forests inside. “As soon as you enter into the space, it’s peaceful—you can feel the landscape and you smell it.” Mirrors throughout offer visitors a moment to reflect and see themselves becoming part of the landscape.

Each element gives a deeper context to the arts and crafts that are displayed and sold at Wachiya, and many items are accompanied by a write-up explaining what they’re made of, who the artist is, and where they’re from. “It was very, very important to bring the nature back downtown Montreal and to feel in what context they create,” Clairoux says.

Ultimately, Wachiya is a way to bring a long tradition of Cree artisanship to contemporary culture and engage not only with an international audience but also with a new generation of Cree creators. Clairoux says they met a lot of young Cree people—creators, musicians, painters, arts and craft artists—and they’re up to date. The designer believes Wachiya’s space succeeds in bringing the legacy of Cree artists back in 2025, ensuring that it can continue in life and be connected with the reality of today.\

Photographs by Julien Perron-Gagné.

SHARE