The struggle is real. For me as an entrepreneur but more so as an Anishinaabekwe I am constantly working to live in alignment. One thing is for sure, we are handing off the problems and beauty of this home to the next generation. As we grow, learn, change, I am always trying to re align with my Anishinaabe values to live thinking about the next generation. At Heart Berry we do alot of things with our tiny team. From murals to scholarships we are always realigning ourselves back onto this good and beautiful path. Those of us who work in the design world are faced with daily forks in the road about production, ethics, materials, and what in the hell...
Indigenous People are master scientists, inventors, historians, and navigators. We have used our knowledge of the land, water, stars, plants, animals, and our human ingenuity to thrive in reciprocity for thousands and thousands of years. The genocide, and truly apocalypse of disruption caused by colonialism changed not only our knowledge of these incredible systems but the Way we passed that knowledge. The US Policy of church ran Boarding schools in specific decimated generations of our families. While mentorship, teaching, and learning was a fundamental part of our way of life, our first experience with what we now consider “school” was one of loss and trauma. Now here we stand in 2025 Our students sit at this crossroads of that experience...
Embracing Native Culture: A Journey of Graduation, Pride, and Blankets Graduating from college is a milestone worth celebrating, but for many Indigenous students, it's more than just receiving a diploma; it's a culmination of resilience, identity, and cultural pride. As an Anishinaabeg, we understand the significance of honoring our history, especially in moments of achievement. We know how hard your Native students work, the barriers they jump over, and the sweetness of their victories. Education has always been central to Indigenous communities, as young people have always learned from elders and family members. Excelling and knowledge carrying has always been central to our way of life. The boarding school era severed and created multiple generations of trauma around missing links to culture, family,...
Our Good Life Blanket celebrates the Sovereignty, Treaty Rights, and Good Life that tribes have retained, worked for, and maintain for our communities. "The word in the 1854 Treaty which ceded most of northern Minnesota for what we Retained is "Mino Bimaadiziiwin" or "Good Life." Our ancestors thought about us and wanted us to maintain this good life. So when we are working to gain access to traditional foods, ways of life, land, and language, we are exercising our rights to that good life." says Howes, CEO and Artist As tribally owned businesses we are working to build Economic Sovereignty for individuals, communities, tribes, and families. When we support Inspired Natives and Not Native Inspired we support and enrich that...
Why is Native Art from Native Artists Important?
Now there is an alternative to buying "native inspired" art like Pendleton and similar brands. As the first Native company to bring you wool blankets, our partnership with Eighth Generation has changed the conversation around why is Native Art Important and Why should Native artists be a part of business by creating the Inspired Natives Project which has lifted Heart Berry and other artists such as John Pepion up into bringing our own businesses and art to the market.
From our first blanket the Wool Renewal
To the Woodland Throws Made in the US
Read the Dwell article "The Pendleton Problem"
at https://www.dwell.com/article/cultural-appropriation-home-decor-pendleton-60491a02#:~:text=The%20Pendleton%20Problem%3A%20When%20Does%20Cultural%20Appreciation%20Tip%20Into%20Appropriation%3F&text=Designers%20weigh%20in%20on%20the,you%20could%20give%20or%20receive.
