Coffee sales have commenced online for Pitquhirnikkut Ilihautiniq, the Kitikmeot Heritage Society, based in Cambridge Bay.
photo courtesy of Pitquhirnikkut Ilihautiniq/Kitikmeot Heritage Society
The non-profit organization created a social enterprise arm in 2017 and that spawned Kaapittiaq -- an Inuit-owned and operated coffee business -- in January 2019.
Coffee orders were initially filled locally, but now sales of one-pound and five-pound bags can be completed online.
Three different blends are available: espresso (called Iglu); dark roast (Inukhuk); and medium roast (Qajaq).
The beans are purchased from Indigenous people in Peru.
Seventy-five per cent of annual sales from Kaapittiaq, which means "good coffee" in Inuinnaqtun, is invested in programs that support the Inuinnait language and culture.
The products can be found online here: https://kaapittiaqstore.ca/collections/all