Inspired Natives®

Panelists:
Founder of OXDX, Jared Yazzie (Navajo/Diné) is a self-taught graphic artist, entrepreneur, and designer known for his bold, graphic style that incorporates vibrant Diné motifs with messages of Native empowerment. Through his bold art and products, both with Eighth Generation and through his own brand OXDX, Jared works to increase awareness of Indigenous issues while simultaneously showcasing the beauty of Native culture.

Sarah Agaton Howes is an Anishinaabe-Ojibwe artist, teacher, and community organizer from Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota. Widely known for her handmade regalia and moccasins featuring Ojibwe floral designs, Sarah has grown from selling handmade earrings to becoming one of Eighth Generation’s best-selling artists in addition to having her own line of apparel, accessories, and more through her nationally-recognized brand, Heart Berry.

Michelle Lowden is the proud founder and owner of Milo Creations, which has grown in her years as an artist with Eighth Generation from hand-painted Pueblo jewelry to diving into the world of graphic art. Additionally, she now creates mental health content for social media, specifically designed to support the Indigenous community on their healing journey. An Inspired Natives® Collaborator since 2014, she is the first arts entrepreneur to participate Eighth Generation’s Inspired Natives® Project.

Nationally-recognized Plains artist John Isaiah Pepion (Piikani/Blackfeet) is an artist and educator living and working in Montana. His instantly-recognizable blend of traditional ledger art and contemporary motifs explores issues of modernity, symbols of Indigeneity, and cultural stories. John’s most recent accolades include several gallery shows as well as being the poster artist for Ken Burns’ PBS documentary, “The American Buffalo”.

Louie Gong (Nooksack) (M.Ed.), founder of Eighth Generation, is a highly influential Coast Salish artist, activist, and social entrepreneur with a knack for bringing people together. In 2008, he founded the iconic lifestyle brand Eighth Generation — the first Native-owned company to produce wool blankets — triggering a movement that has diverted millions of dollars from non-Native corporations to a new generation of Native-owned businesses and artists. By successfully disrupting a colonial system and then selling Eighth Generation to the Snoqualmie Tribe, the creative force completed the blueprint for how to merge values and business — something he refers to as the “Native American Dream.”

The Inspired Natives® Project, launched by Louie Gong in May 2014, is both a business initiative and an educational initiative. By collaborating with select arts entrepreneurs to manufacture products under the Eighth Generation brand, we hope to expand the Eighth Generation brand’s regional appeal while simultaneously increasing the arts entrepreneurs’ capacity and educating the public about the tangible costs of cultural appropriation.

Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Eighth Generation.