For Shilo Cote, creating has always been about more than making something beautiful. It is a source of comfort, pride, and connection to her culture. After more than 20 years of crafting, she is ready to give that passion her full attention.

An Algonquin and Odawa artist from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg and Wiikwemkoong, Shilo is the creator behind Quality Quills, a jewelry business built around distinctive, and fashionable handcrafted jewellery. Her work brings together hand harvested porcupine quills, sweetgrass, birch bark with semi-precious stones, and other materials from the land and animals.

Shilo has been making jewelry and other crafts since she was 10 years old, but it was only in her mid twenties after having her children did she begin to sell her jewelry at powwows. Shilo has found her true passion is constructing earrings, because each piece gives her an opportunity to create something unique. Her ultimate joy is when consumers or other artists comment or compliment her on how different her style of artistry is.

She works with materials that she is inherently connected to; materials that come from the land which allow her to speak from the heart and express her culture while teaching workshops or answering questions about what she is creating and how or why she harvests materials and incorporates them into her pieces.

“Crafting has always brought me comfort and a source of pride and relaxation,” she shares. “Being able to create and have the opportunity to speak about my craft gives me a great sense of pride about my culture and as an Indigenous woman entrepreneur.”

For years, Quality Quills grew alongside the other responsibilities in Shilo’s life. She was employed full time in the Social Service field and raising three children. Creating and developing new skills in jewelry making while building a reputation around something that allowed her creativity to blossom has allowed her to mould Quality Quills into something she is known for. Over time, the idea of making earrings full-time became more than a "side-hustle".. And the numbers have proved that this could be sustainable.

“I’ve said it countless times, I just want to quit my job and make earrings.”

After more than 20 years in social work across various roles, Shilo knows how demanding the work can be. Living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has also brought its own challenges. Through it all, creating has become her outlet, her “ouussa.” She finds comfort in lighting her smudge, listening to music, and spending the next few hours creating, grounding herself, and finding her centre.

Finally, Shilo has taken that step. After seeing how profitable and in demand her style of creating has become, she has resigned from a full time position to focus entirely on growing Quality Quills.

Turning a long-standing passion and side business into a full-time livelihood means looking beyond the creative side of things. Shilo is now focused on building the business knowledge, structure, and connections that will help Quality Quills grow and thrive.

Sometimes, things have a way of coming together at just the right time. Within a few months of resigning from her position, Shilo was accepted into ADAAWE’s Wejibàbandan incubator program.

She joined the cohort at a pivotal point in her entrepreneurial journey. With her full attention now on Quality Quills, Shilo sees the program as an opportunity to strengthen her business, learn alongside other Indigenous entrepreneurs, and build the foundation she needs to move forward with confidence.

For someone who has spent more than two decades developing her craft, this next stage is about bringing the business side of her work into focus without losing sight of what made her start in the first place.

And Shilo is already showing what is possible when she gives herself the opportunity to pursue that vision.

In 2026, she won the Fashion Semi-Final at Pow Wow Pitch, earning a $1,000 prize and advancing to the Grand Finale. She also received the highest overall public vote count in the semi-finals, with 411 votes and won the Aritzia Grant worth $1,150. It was an exciting recognition of her work and the support received from community.

That kind of support is meaningful, but Shilo’s ambitions extend beyond a single milestone. She wants the freedom to create on her own terms, develop products that satisfy her creative spirit, and continue building something that works for both her and her customers.

Shilo has also developed a “Quills on Birchbark” workshop for students and teams, creating another way to share her craft and cultural knowledge. Her work is currently available through Beandigen Cafe, Adaawigamig, ADAAWE, and Buck’s Sports Shop. By the end of November, she will also be selling at Makers in Bayshore Shopping Centre.

With support from ADAAWE, Shilo is looking to rebrand and polish her online store to strengthen its e-commerce presence. The program has also encouraged her to think beyond traditional vendor markets and explore new opportunities to use her skills, experience, and education. Through workshops and other avenues, she can create more spaces to speak about culture, connection, and the stories behind her work.

Through Quality Quills, she has found a way to bring together her love of crafting, her cultural pride, and her entrepreneurial spirit. Now, with Wejibàbandan supporting her next steps, she has the opportunity to focus on making that vision more sustainable for the long term.

After more than 20 years of creating, Shilo is making room for the future she has chosen, a future that excites her, a future that fuels her creative passion. She knows what she loves to do. Now, she is ready to build a business that allows her to keep doing it.

For Shilo, the goal has always been simple: to have space to be creative and connected.

Today, she is giving herself the chance to make that dream her livelihood.