Owamni crew in the kitchen
As Native American Heritage Month closes off, we are reminded of the important contributions Native people have within our communities. To continue supporting Indigenous communities year-round, we’ve rounded up a list of Indigenous-owned small businesses. More can be found at the Minnesota Indigenous Business Alliance directory.
Shops + Arts
Birchbark Books is the tiny indie bookstore owned by Louise Erdrich in the heart of Kenwood. Serving as a hub for Native literature, games, and art.
Crystal Candles was started in Mankato in the kitchen of husband and wife founders Alex and Kyerea Ek. Aptly named, the candles are made with all-natural and sustainably sourced ingredients: locally sourced beeswax and essential oils with a little crystal hidden inside.
Nizhoni Jewelry Design offers neotraditional and unique modern native jewelry by Jesse Valentin. Supporting local, eco-friendly, and ethically sourced materials like coral, bone, turquoise and high quality polymer.
Prairie Willow evolved from a hobby to something more. The products (from jewelry, dream catchers and personal care products) are handmade by SkyAnne Sickler and inspired by traditional Native crafting techniques and materials.
Lakota Made is a woman- and Indigenous-owned small business specializing in herbal tinctures and remedies, and eco-friendly personal care products. Your one-stop-shop for buying Indigenous-made, not Indigenous-inspired in Mankato.
Native Roots Trading Post, found at the Department at Dayton’s, is providing a physical space for almost a dozen local and national Native entrepreneurs and artists as well as providing visibility of Native owned businesses for shoppers in the city.
Pride of the Nations in Wabasha showcases the work of over 400 Native American families. Shop native handcrafted home decor, pottery, flutes, drums and trumpets and more.
Native Harvest is a subdivision of the White Earth Land Recovery Project focusing on food sovereignty, reviving and protecting native seeds. The place you can buy local maple products, Winona LaDuke’s Breakfast Blend Coffee, wild rice pancake and bread mix, and other Ojibwe products like birch bark crafts and jewelry.
Red Lake Nation Foods is fully owned by the Red Lake Nation Band. They offer natural foods and gifts from local cultivated wild rice, hand harvested wild fruit jams and jellies, teas and herbs and handmade crafts. All the products represent the Indigenous cultural heritage and benefit the 10,000 members of the Red Lake Nation.
Indigenous First Art & Gift Shop sells quality gifts and goods investing in over 80 Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs. Based in Duluth, they offer goods including canvas and paper prints, beadwork including earrings and jewelry, handcrafted birch bark designs, ceramics, books, apparel, and Indigenous foods.
Shakopee Trading Post and Gallery displays and sells authentic Native arts and handmade silver and turquoise jewelry. Pick up a piece of American history with authentic crafts made with the same traditions as they have been for generations.
All My Relations, connected to Pow Wow Grounds, wholly supports Indigenous artists. Its many programs support Native authors and artists, helping display art across the cities. As a gallery, they feature installations and in-gallery performances with choreography, film, and visual art.
Two Rivers Gallery ’s focus is on showcasing local emerging artists. Providing artists with a space to exhibit their works and nurture creativity and development.
Food + Drink
Owamni, the critically acclaimed and James Beard Award winning full service Indigenous restaurant in the midwest sits on the shores of Hahawakpa, the Dakota word for the Mississippi River. They have a fully decolonized approach, only serving foods native to the land.
Indigenous Food Labs by NATIFS (a subsidiary of Owamni) is an Indigenous non-profit restaurant found at the Midtown Global Market. Their mission is to teach native foodways and establish a new Indigenous food system that reintegrates Native Foods and Indigenous-focused education into tribal communities across the nation.
Makwa Coffee sells coffee and not coffee, from their most popular specialty drink Ziigwan Sugar Maple, The 5051, lemonade, tea and hot cocoa. The shop also sells hand harvested wild rice from the Leech Lake Reservation where owner Jamie Becker-Finn is from.
Gatherings Cafe in the Minneapolis American Indian Center serves fresh, locally grown and decolonized foods with delicious breakfast and lunch foods. Their mission is to help promote healthy living, eating and education through ancestral knowledge.
Pow Wow Grounds has been open and caffeinating the Native community in south Minneapolis since 2010. Get fuel for the whole day with coffees, teas and breakfast, lunch/dinner and dessert menus.
Roots Cafe, serving coffee and herbal teas in St. Paul’s Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center, is run by local youth who designed the space, developed the menu and made the herbal tea blends in house. They have After School Hours that provide a safe and accessible space for young folks while getting career support, tutoring, and learning a variety of skills.
