A round-up of Indigenous Brands ranging from fashion, jewelry, home goods, and more!
July 4th celebrations often paint a one-sided picture of freedom. The US won independence from Britain, but millions of Indigenous people didn’t get to experience that liberation, but rather faced a new wave of colonization and dispossession. This freedom came at the cost of others’ human rights, including the land stolen from Indigenous Peoples. This history deserves recognition, and supporting Indigenous-owned businesses and organizations as well as the Land Back movement is a step towards acknowledging that truth and fostering a more just future.
Here's why supporting Indigenous businesses and organizations is a powerful act of allyship that transcends consumerism:
By extending your support to Indigenous folks, you're building bridges of understanding and economic empowerment. It's a powerful way to acknowledge the past, celebrate the present, and invest in a brighter future for Indigenous communities.
Here are US-based Indigenous and Native American-owned brands to support:
Etkie creates luxury cuffs inspired by Indigenous design to create timeless, ethical heirloom jewelry, designed to empower the women who make and wear them. All Etkie items are handcrafted by Navajo artisans. Etkie is on a mission to make their production process as beautiful as the products they create by ensuring that all of their products are crafted or finished by talented individuals in underemployed communities.
B.Yellowtail offers a vibrant fashion and lifestyle brand that fuses bold, Indigenous design with contemporary style to share authentic Indigenous design with the world.Bethany Yellowtail is a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, and proudly hails from the Mighty Few District of the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation. Bethany is an active organizer in her Tribal nations and is passionate about using fashion as a tool to uplift Women and young girls, and to support MMIWG preventative resources.
Kotah Bear curates beautiful handcrafted items like blankets and jewelry directly from Native American artisans, originating from a rich, ancient heritage. The founders (Kotah and Tessie) are both enrolled members of the Diné (Navajo) tribe Kotah Bear shares gorgeous handcrafted items from their culture and supports the livelihood of living Native American artisans. Each piece originates from a rich, ancient heritage and can be treasured for generations to come.
Eighth Generation is an art and lifestyle brand that provides a strong, ethical alternative to “Native-inspired” art and products through its artist-centric approach and 100% Native designed products.They are proudly owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. Their Inspired Natives™ Project, anchored by the tagline “Inspired Natives™, not Native-inspired,” builds business capacity among cultural artists while addressing the economic impact of cultural appropriation.
Urban Native Era champions Indigenous visibility through fashion and community empowerment and reciprocates Ingeniety through sustainably sourcing our products Urban Native Era (UNE) started in November 2012 in San Jose, CA by Joey Montoya (Lipan Apache). Urban Native Era strives to recruit and highlight inclusive Indigenous talent in their modeling, set design, and photography and frequently supports Indigenous organizations with monetary and product donations.
Ginew is the first Native American-owned denim collection and features denim, tees, accessories and other goods, with each item drawing direct inspiration from their cultures and relatives. Ginew is deeply influenced from Ojibwe, Oneida and Stockbridge-Munsee design elements. Part of Ginew’s ethos is Native Americans uplifting Native Americans and in the process creating a collection that incorporates family symbols and teachings into the garments to be worn by all.
Inspired by Indigenous communities, Prados Beauty offers an inclusive makeup line with high-quality products designed to uplift and empower everyone. The founder, Cece is a proud Xicana and Indigena (Yoeme). Prados Beauty donates a portion of procees to Native communities through the Prados Promise and does charitable work in these communities and support other Native entrepreneurs on our website and social channels.
ThunderVoice Hat Co is a family-owned business that breathes new life into vintage finds, crating unique, sustainable hats that honor Indigenous heritage and hold stories and purpose. ThunderVoice Hat Co. is a Diné & Totonac owned business. The Iconic Navajo Brim hat has spanned through the ages, as a reminder of generations past.
4KINSHIP is a sustainable artwear brand dedicated to producing handmade, one of a kind, restored, repurposed and lovingly upcycled, artisanal and small batch products. 4KinShip is Diné (Navajo) owned and is currently leading fundraising efforts for Diné Skate Garden Project to support the community of Two Grey Hills on Navajo Nation provide a transformative space for Diné youth in this remote area.
Haipažaža Pȟežuta, meaning "Medicine Soaps" in Lakota, handcrafts all-natural soaps, salves, and other wellness products in small batches organic ingredients harvested from their homelands or ethically sourced from around the world. The founders are Lakota & Dakota from Ocheti Sakowin Tha Makhoche (Homelands of the Seven Council Fires, commonly known as the Great Sioux Nation). Everything they create is inspired by their Lakota/Dakota homelands, their traditional stories and songs, their children and families and their love for our people.
Sequoia Soaps offers a range of handcrafted, all-natural soaps and self-care products that capture the essence of Indigenous traditions. Sequoia is a Proudly Indigenous brand that is founded by Michaelee Lazore who is Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) from Akwesáhsne and Northern Paiute from Nevada. The design, production, and packaging of all the products is done in the working studio locally. In order to keep the next seven generations in mind, the production is sustainable and ingredients are ethically sourced.
EMME Studio is a slow fashion brand made from upcycled, recycled, or all natural materials that strives to expose and dismantle systems of oppression in the fashion industry and challenge colonial ways of thinking. The founder artist and designer Korina Emmerich celebrates her patrilineal Indigenous heritage from The Puyallup tribe. Emmerich has worked as a community organizer with the Indigenous Kinship Collective.
Beyond Buckskin is dedicated to advancing creative small businesses located throughout rural and urban communities by providing an online store where customers can connect with Native American fashion designers and jewelry artists. Beyond Buckskin launched in 2009 by Jessica R. Metcalfe (Turtle Mountain Chippewa). They currently work with over 40 individual artists and small businesses to get their incredible and unique work out to a broader audience and advance traditional Indigenous artistic practices by bringing ancient designs, natural materials, and cultural stories to modern fashion.
Trickster Company bridges the gap between cultural heritage and contemporary style through their creation of souvenirs from everyday objects such as skateboards, apparel, and canvases. This is an Indigenous-owned brand founded in Juneau, Alaska. They focus on Northwest Coast art and explore themes and issues in Native culture and strive to represent a prestigious lineage of art in fresh and energetic ways as a celebration of Northwest Coast culture as it lives today.
TP Mocs creates beautifully handcrafted Native American moccasins for children. The founder Maria has roots in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Northwestern Montana. TPMOCS dispatches much needed resources on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation located in Northwestern Montana and provides employment opportunities and resources to additional communities in need.
Kraff's Clothing offers iconic Pendleton blankets and features handcrafted items made on-site from genuine Pendleton fabric with each piece being a testament to cultural preservation and a commitment to quality. Kraff’s is a family-owned business with deep roots in the Yakama nation. Kraff's Clothing understands price is a barrier and strives to keep prices low and provide discounts to loyal customers purchasing Native American products.
Based in Denver, Colorado, Indigenous Cosmetics is a small, family-owned company that handcrafts, all-natural haircare products using high-quality ingredients to nourish and celebrate the rich cultural significance of healthy hair. The brand is a Chippewa Cree and Sicangu Lakota company where Indigenous identity, culture and values inspired their professional haircare line. Their cosmetics are designed to complement Indigenous skin tones and focus on sustainability through the use the finest ingredients of the highest quality.
