Patches NTVS x SPJ (Steven Paul Judd) | Image source: The NTVS
Missing the powwow trail this summer? Looking for clothing, crafts and accessories made by Indigenous people? Muskrat Magazine has you covered with this list of brands that bring the powwow vendors to you virtually.
From traditional crafts to powwow apparel, these businesses are promoting Indigenous identity in positive ways. The list features artists and designers who are following in the footsteps of their ancestors and breaking out of the confines of design to create something innovative and Indigenous.
Support these entrepreneurs who are placing pride and honesty in their work.
1. The NTVS
Two Native American guys trying to fill a hole in the market that is missing the voice of the people. Our mission is to teach the youth the importance of embracing culture and history while building a Native Clothing brand. We do that by crafting Native apparel designs that you can be proud to wear. We use art and streetwear mixed with our culture to create one-of-a-kind designs that embrace our Native American culture and heritage.
Shop The NTVS online here and follow @ntvsclothing on Instagram.
2. Molina’s Lakota Beadwork
Hello, my name is Molina Parker. I am an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and am from the Two Bulls tiospaye (family). My late grandmother, Delores (Ten Fingers) Two Bulls, and mother, Twilla Two Bulls, taught me to sew, bead and cross stitch. It is through them that I developed my own voice.
Shop Molina’s Lakota Beadwork here.
3. NATE (We are NATE Inc.)
Pow wow/streetwear with an Indigenous focus. The goal is to help build pride and awareness in the native community, through original designs that reflect our collective history, traditions, and our promising future. T-shirt designs are printed without the use of any solvents or chemicals to help keep our water clean for generations to come.
Like We are NATE Facebook and shop the new 2016 collection here.
4. TP Mocs
This baby moccasin company is founded on the principle that everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed. With each purchase, TP Mocs takes meaningful action to address poverty. By expanding Tribe by Tribe, we will be able to provide employment opportunities and resources to Native American communities in need.
Follow @TPMocs on Instagram and Shop TP Mocs here.
5. Urban Native Era
Inspired by the Idle No More Movement, Urban Native Era is a collective of youth striving to create a vision and voice for the 7th generation of Native America. The vision is to empower young voices so they may reclaim traditional knowledge and identity in this rapidly changing world; simultaneously redefining what it means to be Indigenous and free.
Follow Urban Native Era on Twitter @UrbanNativeEra and shop online here.
6. Cree Star Gifts
“In the late 1960’s, my grandparents Joe and Hazel Stevens settled along the Red Deer River in Manitoba. It was my grandmother, Hazel Stevens, who started making Birch Bark Baskets, she taught my mother, aunts, uncles and cousins. My grandmother eventually taught me and therefore basket making has been in my family for at least three generations.” – Owner, Corinne Stevens-Belanger
Shop Cree Star Gifts online for stunning birchbark baskets, star blankets and more.
7. G’zaagin Art Gallery
G’zaaagin Art Gallery is an Ojibwe owned and operated First Nations Art Gallery that showcases and sells Native arts, crafts, jewellery, and materials. The vision is to provide a space for artists to share their creations as well as contribute to the promotion and development of First Nations art and artisans. Through mentorship by family, community Elders, and friends, Owner/Artist Boshdayosgaykwe keeps the values and beliefs of Native traditions and heritage alive through art.
Like G’zaagin Art Gallery on Facebook.
8. Twindian Designs
Wa’tkwanonhwerátonh tahnon skennenakénhak! We are Teyotsihstokwáthe Dakota Brant & Yonenyà:kenht Jesse Brant of Twindian Designs, proud Mohawk Turtle clan women born & raised in Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Twindian Designs creates modern fashion and accessories that our Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) people can relate to while informing the mainstream about our vibrant Haudenosaunee culture through ancestral designs.
Like Twindian Designs on Facebook and Shop the EQUINOX Collection here.
9. Canard Blanc Creations
Canard Blanc is an Indigenous owned and operated jewelry and accessory design company. We specialize in traditional and contemporary items made from leather, bone, horn, glass, shell, and other natural materials.
Shop Canard Blanc here and Like them on Facebook.
Visit Beyond Buckskin Boutique to shop Indigenous artist and designers online.
