11 American Indian and Alaskan Native-Founded Home Brands We Love

Liking or appreciating an aesthetic or design style is all well and good unless it becomes cultural appropriation. Many iconic patterns and motifs that we see in rugs, blankets and other textiles as well as pottery and homewares are lifted from Indigenous cultures. These products and decor are rarely Indigenous-made, but there are many American Indian and Alaskan-Native home decor businesses you can shop online instead, from regional co-ops to Etsy's Native-Owned page with more than 5,000 items from Indigenous designers. We're highlighting some of our favorite American Indian and Alaskan Native brands below. These artists take inspiration from their Indigenous origins and traditions, many preserving artisan skills that have been passed down for centuries. Several of these brands donate proceeds back to American Indian tribes and community organizations in need. Take a look at these home brands below and start buying more products from American Indian and Alaskan-Native businesses, from handwoven rugs to ceramic tumblers, if you're not already.

Sage & Oats

Sage & Oats Trading Post in Helena, Montana, celebrates the state's rich cultural history and specializes in Indigenous-made products. If you can't shop the store IRL, owners Major, an enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, and Michelle have an Etsy page to shop, too. We love these handmade stained-glass feathers.

Betty’s Baskets

A member of the Chippewa tribe from the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota, Betty Derke says basket weaving saved her life as she began weaving during a hospital stay for depression. Her baskets mimic the shape of traditional pottery and are inspired by her hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico and her love of the ocean.

Mahota Textiles

Chickasaw textile designer Margaret Roach Wheeler founded Mahota Textiles to honor "the spirit of Mahota and the legacy of creative Chickasaw women." The name Mahota means “to separate by hand" and each textile sold, from blankets to pillows, is handmade in Oklahoma by Chickasaw tribal artists. In fact, the company itself is the first textile company in the United States owned by a North American tribe.

Eighth Generation

Located in Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market, the Eighth Generation flagship store features Native-designed homewares, gifts, accessories and more. The company's Inspired Natives Project has the tagline “Inspired Natives, not Native-inspired,” and builds "business capacity among cultural artists while addressing the economic impact of cultural appropriation." If you can't visit in person, you can also shop on their website as well as learn about each designer and artisan. There's so much to shop, but we're obsessed with these double-walled ceramic tumblers.

Indian Pueblo Store

While Eighth Generation amplifies Native artists of the Pacific Northwest, the Indian Pueblo Store at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, showcases Southwest Indigenous artisans. Founded in 1976, the store is owned and operated by New Mexico’s 19 Pueblo tribes. If you can't visit in person, you can shop the store online, from handmade turquoise jewelry to vintage baskets.

Heart Berry

Heart Berry is named after Ode'imin the Ojibwe word for strawberry. Founder Sarah Agaton Howes started making custom beadwork and quilts in her kitchen in Northern Minnesota, but the brand has taken off and become one of the state's most popular Indigenous businesses with collections of handmade textiles, homewares, clothing and more. We love Heart Berry for gifts such as this journal or these socks, covered in the company's signature Ojibwe floral motif.

B. Yellowtail

Founded by Bethany Yellowtail in 2015, B. Yellowtail is a Native-owned fashion label that shares "authentic Indigenous design with the world." A member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, Yellowtail also created the B. Yellowtail Collective "to support Native American, First Nations and Indigenous entrepreneurs." There are so many gorgeous prints and patterns on the brand's website, but we are in love with the ribbons and fabric you can buy.

Trickster Company

Founded by siblings Rico and Crystal Worl, Trickster Company celebrates Northwest Coast culture in a modern way. The wares and art often have a contemporary spin in design or color, and they even have a custom raven forever stamp. A sheet of these would make a very cool framed art piece. Worl also recently collaborated with Rumpl for this Trickster blanket.

Teton Trade Cloth

Founded by Rich Shelton and Craig Jones after a trip to Grand Teton National Park, Teton Trade Cloth specializes in 100 percent wool broadcloth. And these "heirloom quality" textiles come in tons of vibrant colors. While there are some completed blankets to buy, the site is more geared toward Native makers with lots of beads, cloth and other materials for sale.

4KINSHIP

Founded by Diné Navajo member Amy Denet Deal, 4KINSHIP is a fashion brand that focuses on sustainable artwear with handmade and upcycled one-of-a-kind fashion creations. The site also features several handmade rugs and decor from Two Grey Hills artists in the Navajo Nation.

Steph Littlebird

Author, artist and member of Oregon’s Grand Ronde Confederated Tribes, Steph Littlebird has curated several acclaimed Indigenous art exhibits, including "This IS Kalapuyan Land" at Five Oaks Museum in Portland, Oregon. But Littlebird's own Etsy page is full of original work, from contemporary prints to art inspired by traditional designs.