Road To Your Name - Season 6, Episode 1: Kaity & Montana Adams: Ink, Identity, and Indigenous Entrepreneurship

Episode Title: Kaity & Montana Adams — Ink, Identity, and Indigenous Entrepreneurship. (This episode was recorded in April 2023)Show: The Road to Your Name Host: Lisa VanEvery Guests: Kaity Adams & Montana Adams, owners of Adams Family Ink and Boutique(This podcast was recorded on location at Tuscarora Road.  Their business has since moved to the Log Cabin at 986 Hwy. 54 on Six Nations) 🎧 Listen: [Add your Transistor link here once live]Episode Summary: In this on-location episode, host Lisa visits The Adams Family Ink and Boutique on Tuscarora Road at Six Nations of the Grand River to talk with owners Kaity Adams and Montana Adams. Together they share their story of building a community-based tattoo studio and Indigenous boutique, blending art, culture, and entrepreneurship.Kaity and Montana discuss how tattooing connects to Indigenous identity, safety standards in the industry, and how they’re helping community members express pride in who they are. The couple also highlight how traditional tattoo practices and modern business approaches come together to create a welcoming, culturally informed space for all.In This Episode: • Opening The Adams Family Ink and Boutique in 2021 and growing through community markets and social media • Montana’s path to becoming a tattoo artist and his black-and-gray illustrative style • Kaity’s exploration of hand-poke Indigenous tattooing and cultural significance • The rebirth of Indigenous tattoo traditions as acts of reclamation and confidence • Tattoo ethics — originality, artist integrity, and cultural respect • Business structure, pricing, and the realities of self-employment in the tattoo industry • Health and safety protocols, consent forms, and client comfort • Balancing motherhood, family, and running a small business on reserve • Boutique offerings — Indigenous-made products, beadwork, home décor, and plans for an in-house apparel lineKey Quotes:“We’re revitalizing and reclaiming our identity. It may seem small to some people, but it’s huge to feel that safe and proud again.”“Tattooing isn’t just art — it’s a way to wear your voice on your skin.”“Our business model is simple: do everything with a good mind and in a good way.”Connect with The Adams Family Ink and Boutique: 📍 Six Nations of the Grand River, located at 986 Hwy. 54 (at the Log Cabin), Ohsweken, Ontario Instagram → @adamsfamilyinkandboutiqueInstagram:  @montysillustrations(add if applicable) Facebook → Adams Family Ink and BoutiqueAbout the Show: The Road to Your Name shares conversations with Indigenous voices reclaiming identity, purpose, and community. Each episode features stories of resilience, entrepreneurship, and cultural revitalization on Haudenosaunee territory.Follow the show for more Indigenous stories told in a good way.