As promised, I am officially launching this campaign to Buy Native this holiday season. I've written about this campaign here and here (and the idea began last year with this post), and I'm reaching out to you all to join me in this mission. I am personally going to try to buy only Native-made products for gifts, and over the next 5 weeks I'll be writing about my challenges and findings. Now, you can just bookmark this link, and all your Native dreams will come true (ok, maybe that's an exaggeration).
But seriously, I will be posting links to Native-owned and operated businesses that sell Native-made goods, along with links to Native artists' sites, and local Native-run stores and Holiday Native American Art Markets. I will also post a 'quasi-Native' set of links - businesses owned by non-Native folks who promote Native businesses and sell Native-made products. Again, the idea is to create a network of folks who support one another and who support the idea of economic development in Indian Country.
I'll post the links here, but PLEASE add to this list in the comments section. I want to build a great list of awesome sites to support. In the coming 2 weeks, I will be adding to this list significantly - looking to promote everyone as much as possible. This list will be printed in one place, and you can find it here at any time of the year (even when the holidays are gone!).
Now, for this list that you see below, I cheated. I'm not going to lie. I went over to Chelsea Vowel's site Apihtawikosisan and took her list and pasted it below. Vowel is a major supporter of Beyond Buckskin and of Native-run businesses and Native artists. I also went over to the Beyond Buckskin Facebook page and went through all the Liked Pages and added those websites to the list below. I will be adding to this list throughout the next couple of days, so check back often! There are A LOT of options out there when it comes to buying Native, and, ultimately, supporting Native communities. So, please, support, and bring meaning back into the holidays with locally produced Native-made items.
Please share this post and/or sign your name below if you will join me in this pledge to BUY NATIVE and to buy at least one Native-made gift this season.