Maxine Noel Not Forgotten Lunch Bag

This insulated lunch bag with handle keeps food cool for up to 4 hours, depending on external temperatures. Made PVC, BPA, and latex-free, each bag showcases the artwork of celebrated Sioux artist Maxine Noel & Anishinaabe artist Emily Kewageshig.

Available in three beautiful designs: Not Forgotten, Mother Earth, and Skirt With a Story.

• Not Forgotten honours and remembers all the murdered and missing Aboriginal women. Proceeds from this design support the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) – a voice for the missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada.

• Mother Earth reflects the deep connection and respect for the land that sustains us. “With the cleansing Waters and the warming rays of the Sun, Mother Earth flourishes.” – Maxine Noel

• Skirt With a Story carries cultural meaning and artistic expression. Ribbon skirts are a marker of identity that displays our pride in who we are. This artwork is inspired by the matriarchs and women who carry our cultural teachings forward and represent our people in a good way.

Each bag combines practicality with a meaningful story, making it more than just a lunch bag—it’s a piece of art with purpose.

Maxine Noel

Ioyan Mani - 'to walk beyond' - is Maxine's Sioux name that reveals her gift. Maxine is Oglala Sioux, born on the Birdtail Reservation in Manitoba. The eldest of eleven children, she learned to draw among a loving family on a quiet reserve. In residential school she experienced the struggles of submersion of the native spirituality and culture, which brought her strength and enrichment. Maxine was appointed in 2019 as a member of the Order of Canada for her work as a visual artist and for encouraging and promoting creative expression in Indigenous communities.

A self-taught artist, Maxine is skilled in many media. She seeks through the use of fluid images, flowing lines and subtle colours, to present essential characteristics of the Native people: their sensibilities, generosity and loving nature. Maxine has received honours and accolades for her work with Native cultures, and she speaks around the country on art and on social issues, assisting in bridging the gap between Native and non-Native, young and old.

Maxine was a recipient of the Order of Canada in 2019 for her notable achievements.

Emily Kewageshig

Emily Kewageshig is an Anishinaabe artist and visual storyteller from Saugeen First Nation in Ontario. She moved away from her reserve to Toronto at 17 years of age to pursue a higher education, with hopes of making a living doing the one thing she loved the most - creating art.

After becoming a mother in 2018, Kewageshig reflected on how everything in life is cyclical, a concept informed by her heritage. Like a circle, without a beginning or an end, the earth orbits the sun, the seasons come and go in faithful order, and every living thing is bound to its life cycle. Collectively, Emily’s work highlights interconnectedness of all living things while promoting the need for harmony and balance so the life cycle of each plant, animal, and person can be preserved for the vitality of future generations. Stylistically, her work uses vivid colours and bold, graphic lines using both traditional and contemporary materials and methods.

Kewageshig continues to be a role model for First Nations youth across Turtle Island, as she continues to chase her dreams by inspiring and teaching through her art. In 2020 she returned back to her home community of Saugeen First Nation.

“Inspired by my loving family and all the beautiful children that surround me. Allow my colourful visual expressions to remind you of all the greatness that life has to offer, and the magic of the spirits that we carry within us.”

Returns

We gladly accept returns of unworn merchandise purchased from MoccasinsCanada.com for a refund or exchange within 30 days of original purchase. Please note customer pays postage for the return. The Brown Bear covers the shipping for the replacement item. For more information please visit our returns page.