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Right now, your calendar is telling you that there are still weeks before Autumn.  But your bones know something your calendar doesn’t: it’s getting chillier.

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Luckily, you can prep for sweater weather with a hot cup of Kaapittiaq,  the delicious brew of an Inuinnait non-profit coffee company based in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, now with a new website (www.kaapittiaq.ca) and hot new packaging designed by Inuk designer, Mark Bennett. 

 

“Kaapittiaq shared some great resources including photos of traditional designs and I went through them looking for interesting patterns,” said Bennet. “I was sharing my sketches with Kaapittiaq to get input from the community.”

 

The new packaging isn’t just beautiful, it boasts 70% compostable and 30% recyclable materials, a first step toward its goal to be a fully compostable product.  “Inuit have always been conservationists,” said Emily Angulalik, a Board member of Pitquhikhainik Ilihainiq Inc (the Inuit social enterprise producing Kaapittiaq), and Language Revitalization Coordinator for Pitquhirnikkut Ilihautiniq / Kitikmeot Heritage Society, the company's parent non-profit organization.  “When a hunter catches their game, nothing goes to waste. Nothing. Living harmoniously is of great importance.”

 

Kaapittiaq means 'good coffee' in the Inuinnaqtun language but it’s more than a brand...it’s a creed, a measure of Inuinnait values, and an experiment in how Indigenous companies can strengthen their communities. When customers buy Kaapittiaq coffee, it’s both for its taste and the good it creates in the world through its commitment to support Indigenous culture, employment, and capacity. Each year, 75% of Kaapittiaq's profits are used to create programs promoting Inuit culture, language and knowledge. The organization has been a strong advocate in support of Indigenous social enterprise and is committed to strengthening global Indigenous business networks by partnering with Indigenous coffee growers to source its green beans. Their newest partner, Coop de Mujeres Cafeteras de Boyacá (Coomucaboy) is a female-run cooperative located in Boyacá, Colombia.

Kaapittiaq is the first commercial product produced by Pitquhikhainik Ilihainiq Inc., an Inuit owned and operated social enterprise dedicated to supporting the survival and revival of Inuit culture. Their Inuinnaqtun name translates as the sharing of cultural knowledge. 

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Learn more about the company's mission and products at www.kaapittiaq.ca.