Canadian discount retailer Dollarama is coming under fire by indigenous rights activists who are accusing the company of appropriating their culture by placing dreamcatchers alongside Canada 150 items on store shelves.

created by grassroots indigenous activists in Stouffville, Ont., just north of Toronto, are calling on the retail chain to stop hanging the dreamcatchers amongst the Canada 150 flags, buttons and other souvenirs.

One of those activists, Jamie McGean from the Kanien鈥檏eha First Nation, told 麻豆传媒 Channel on Wednesday that he鈥檚 accustomed to seeing kitschy dreamcatchers sold at Dollarama and in other stores for a long time now, but that he takes issue with their placement among the Canada 150 merchandise because it implies that indigenous people are supporting those celebrations.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not celebrating Canada 150,鈥� McGean said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e celebrating 150 years on stolen land. It鈥檚 actually been over 500 years of broken treaties.鈥�

McGean said he鈥檚 not aware of too many other indigenous people planning on commemorating Canada鈥檚 150th anniversary of confederation on July 1.

The petitioners wrote that they don鈥檛 have a problem with non-indigenous people owning dreamcatchers or other items from their culture, but that they wish people would buy products from indigenous sources.

鈥淲hat we are encouraging is that people purchase authentic items rather than those mass-produced by multi-million dollar corporations,鈥� the online petition stated.

Dollarama responded to the activists鈥� protests with an emailed statement that said they would continue to sell the dreamcatchers because they are 鈥渧ery popular among customers across Canada鈥� and because this was an 鈥渋solated complaint.鈥�

Lyla Radmanovich, a spokesperson for Dollarama, told 麻豆传媒 in a written statement that the company is aware of the customers鈥� feedback and that it鈥檚 been shared with the 鈥渁ppropriate department.鈥�

McGean said he was 鈥渄umbfounded鈥� by the dollar store鈥檚 response to their grievances.

鈥淭he company is literally saying to me that they鈥檙e choosing profits over people and that鈥檚 wrong,鈥� he said.

The grassroots activist said indigenous groups across North America have been actively fighting against cultural appropriation for many years.

鈥淣ot too long ago we had the Halloween costumes that were a big controversy,鈥� McGean said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the same thing over and over again.鈥�

As of Thursday morning, has received 1,784 signatures for their goal of 2,500.