Métis artist Juliet Mackie was surfing the web one day when she found a design of a pair of beaded earrings that looked remarkably like one of her own.
But in this case – they were cheap copies of her work being sold by an international corporation online.
“I got surprised initially, then I got frustrated,” she says. “Now I want to take action to learn more about what my rights are as an Indigenous artist. What the protocols are in place and I’m hoping I’ll be able to navigate a bit more here.”
Mackie, from Fort Chipewyan in Alberta, found copies of her work on Temu – an e-commerce website based in China. After the discovery, she reached out to her lawyer, Jonathan Sommer.
“You need resources to exercise your rights,” he told APTN News. “If you want to protect yourself, you have to convince the government officials that administer those laws to help you, but unless those in power are willing to do something …. We’re in a bit of a situation right now.”
Mackie’s Instagram account, Little Moon Creations, has more than 20,000 followers. The artist moved to Montreal to study art. She supplements her income with beadwork.
“I’m interested in topics like cultural appropriation and y’know representation of art and how it’s being used or exploited by companies like Temu,” she said.
These kinds of discoveries online are becoming routine says Mackie.
The first time was in 2022 when she found a pair of earrings that she crafted with her grandmother.
“And I remember taking the photos of it in her garden and posting them on my website and you know the experience of us beading together.
“So it feels a bit more of a violation.”
A number of Indigenous artists are sharing similar experiences across social media.
Melody Markle, who also sells her work on Instagram, says she also discovered beaded chickadee earrings she designed on Temu without her consent.
“We need to start educating these big corporations that are taking away our pieces of identity and owning as their own and making profit off of it that’s well below what we’re asking,” she said.
APTN reached out to Temu for comment. According to a spokesperson, Temu requires sellers to “submit documentation and sign an agreement to ensure they comply with legal standards and respect intellectual property rights in their targeted markets.”
The company says when it receives a request to remove an item from its website, Temu takes action.
But Mackie is skeptical. She says hundreds of beaded earrings copying her design are still up for sale on Temu.
“In some cases should the artist be compensated for those designs that were sold? If the company profited off of it?” she asks.
