Details

Although it's not November, which is a Native American heritage month, we strongly believe that we need to pay more attention to native-owned businesses all year round. Statistics say that Native American businesses contribute over $33 billion to the economy of our country. Let's speak about Native American-owned businesses that deserve our interest and attention. Additionally, we'll explore ways to get business financing that are available to American Indians.

The 10 Best Native-Owned Businesses We Love

Want to support Indigenous-owned businesses but don't know where to start? Here are some well-known brands and hidden gems to consider.

1. B. Yellowtail

B. Yellowtail is a Native American-owned company founded by Bethany Yellowtail, who is an award-winning fashion designer and a member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation. The brand specializes in fashion and accessories. It allows individuals to touch wearable art that tells its unique story by reflecting Indigenous heritage.

The brand is proudly owned by Indigenous women. Its mission is to share its unique aesthetic with the like-minded. In a world of Indigenous misappropriation, B. Yellowtail is a sincere voice that stands for fair representation and empowerment through design.

2. Eighth Generation

Eighth Generation is a Native American brand owned by the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe that creates authentic Indigenous art. The company's slogan is "Inspired Natives, not Native-inspired," which greatly corresponds to what it does. Besides providing 100% Native American made and designed wool blankets, scarfs, fine art, apparel, and jewelry, the brand also contributes to promoting emerging Native American artists.

Each item created by Eighth Generation contains unique cultural elements and introduces us to spellbinding specifics peculiar to a Tribe and Nation. If you're looking for an inspiring Native American art and lifestyle brand, give it a shot. You can shop through the Eighth Generation website or visit its store in Seattle.

3. Beyond Buckskin Boutique

Beyond Buckskin Boutique is a brand that specializes in Native American fashion, clothing, jewelry, and accessories. It works with more than 40 Native American artists and promotes their collections to make them more recognizable to the general public. All artists bring cultural stories to modern fashion by advancing traditional Native American practices and using ancient designs and natural materials.

The brand was launched in 2009 by Jessica R. Metcalfe, who is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. Although it all started as an online platform that promotes the first Native original designers, in 2012, the website opened its own online boutique to sell their works and art too. Now its major goal is to share Native American culture with the world through authentic designs.

4. SheNative

SheNative is a leather handbags and accessories brand launched by Cree entrepreneur Devon Fiddler. The brand is aimed at helping women reveal their inner strength and confidence. It creates workplaces for Native people, mostly Indigenous women, helping them to express themselves and achieve their goals. The handbags created by SheNative have a modern look but, at the same time, contain unique cultural motifs, such as feather attachments and fringe tassels.

SheNative also believes that providing a more socially conscious fashion industry will help us change the world for the better by reducing the impacts of non-degradable waste. Thus, you can rest assured you deal with a brand that is committed to sustainability and responsible consumption when purchasing items created by SheNative.

5. NotAbove

NotAbove is a brand founded by Nanibaa Beck, who is a Navajo Nation representative. The brand took its name from the owner's favorite mispronunciation of her name back in 2007. It creates handcrafted jewelry with a focus on Native indigenous languages.

6. Sḵwálwen Botanicals

Sḵwálwen is a luxury Indigenous brand founded by Leigh Joseph of Squamish First Nation. It creates botanical skin care products and uses traditional Squamish plant knowledge to ensure your skin will get only high-quality, sustainably harvested, and sourced ingredients. If you take a look at its products' names, you will learn more about the place where this plant knowledge comes from.

7. Michelle Brown

Michelle Brown is a Salt Lake City-based brand named in honor of the Dine designer who launched it. The company sells a diverse selection of premium apparel, bags, and jewelry. Michelle's creations reflect the extreme contrast between her childhood in the Two Gray Hills Navajo reservation in New Mexico and her career. Michelle is known for partnering with renowned designers like Ralph Lauren and Lane Bryant.

8. Bedré Fine Chocolate

Bedré Fine Chocolate is a local staple that was once a small chocolatier selling its products at Homer Elementary School in Oklahoma. Now it's a nationally-recognized brand owned by the Chickasaw Nation. It offers a variety of chocolate products, gifts, and receipts. Some of the most popular options include handcrafted chocolate barks, chocolate sauces, and premium dark chocolate coffee blends.

9. TPMOCS

TPMOCS is a brand launched by Maria Running Fisher Jones, who was raised on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Northwestern Montana by a single mother. Now Maria raises the question of poverty and helps residents of the Blackfeet community fight against it.

The brand specializes in handcrafted traditional moccasins for kids and babies. Although TPMOCS's footwear has modern designs, the brand has a strong focus on preserving traditions. Additionally, it allows you to create your own design to better meet your needs. Thus, you can make moccasins look just like you want.

10. Cheekbone Beauty

Cheekbone Beauty is a well-known make-up brand created by Jenn Harper. The brand's goal is to help Indigenous youth feel represented and seen in the beauty industry, as well as support them and create a safe space for творчества и созидания. And it's not just words. By donating a portion of its earnings from each purchase, Cheekbone Beauty provides more educational opportunities for Indigenous youth. If you're looking for sustainable cosmetics products and want to support a Native American-owned business, Cheekbone Beauty seems to be a suitable option.

Financing Options for Indigenous-Owned Businesses

Below are a few options for Native people who want to start a new business or invest in an existing Native American-owned business development.

Grants for a Native American Business Provided by Indian Affairs

Indian Affairs is a division of the US Department of the Interior that offers grants and programs that are aimed at supporting Native American entrepreneurs. Native Americans who want to start a new business or develop the existing one can consider the following options:

• Native American Business Development Institute (NABDI) Grant. This annual grant provides financial assistance to tribes and tribal organizations seeking business counseling. With its help, businesses can hire specialists who will help them conduct feasibility studies or business plans on the viability of a business.
• National Tribal Broadhead Grant (NTBG). This grant provides technical assistance to tribes and tribal organizations.
• Indian Loan Guarantee and Insurance Program (ILGP). ILGP is aimed at helping American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and individuals get loans at reasonable interest rates. It becomes possible due to financial backing from the federal government that reduces the risk to lenders.
• Tribal Energy Development Capacity Grant (TEDC). This grant helps tribes establish their energy business or enhance the energy capacity of their business.
• Indian Business Incubators Program (IBIP). The program supports Native entrepreneurs by providing them with the tools needed to grow their businesses and serve tribal communities more efficiently.
• Tribal Tourism Grant Program (TTGP). TTGP's core goal is to support tribes by provisioning them with additional funding. The funds can be used toward developing tribal tourism businesses.

Options Offered by the Office of Native Americans Affair 

The US Small Business Administration's Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) provides several tools for Native American-owned businesses to help them expand and grow. The office specializes in technical assistance, which includes the following disciplines:

• Marketing;
• Opportunity development and capture;
• Contract management;
• Strategic and operational planning;
• Financial analysis;
• Compliance.

Native American Tribal Loans

Multiple lending companies support small businesses owned by Native Americans, no matter their credit backgrounds. Indigenous people can access guaranteed tribal loans for bad credit at competitive terms and with a few more benefits. For example, Native people usually don't need to provide collateral or undergo a hard credit check. Additionally, such loans have flexible repayment terms, so you can repay them in affordable monthly installments. For approved applications, the funds can be deposited into an active bank account within one business day.

Additionally, there are options offered by traditional lenders. To access one, you need to meet their minimum credit score requirements. However, loan terms may be more favorable for those Native Americans with good or excellent credit.