How Native businesses can and are doing it our way The message around business is so often "competition competition competition" which drives a lot of Native aspiring business owners and dreamers away. Because we come from a value system that prioritizes the whole over the individual this tension can prove too hard to bear. The notion of competition is built on a scarcity mindset and when we come from communities that suffer the greatest scarcity, this can feel daunting. Collaboration comes from an abundance mindset and says "we all do better when we all do better." As tribal people, it is oppositional to our way to see others as our competition, our enemy, and where we are trying to always run...
Heart Berry was really born from the collaborative spirit. "The small regalia business I ran from my kitchen table grew into Heart Berry from the vision and collaboration of Eighth Generation." Giizh Heart Berry has been fortunate to collaborate with amazing artists like Holly Young and Nedahness Greene on some of our proudest art installations. We collaborate with non profits such as the Minnesota United Wonderwall to raise large sums of money from our tiny business on the Rez. Last year we raised and donated over $16,000 with our collaborative hearts and you. We believe in the power of Creating Space. We also believe this is our role and responsibility. Auntie's Table brought together aspiring and accomplished makers...
Heart Berry x Supporters of Minnesota United FC’s three largest Supporter Groups announced today their continued support for Wakan Tipi Awaŋyaŋkapi with an $8000 donation. Wakan Tipi Awaŋyaŋkapi is a Dakota nonprofit which seeks to engage people to honor and care for our natural places and the sacred sites and cultural value within them by focusing on urban conservation and restoration, cultural connections and healing, and environmental education.
Working from the Heart, Binding together Ojibwe Art with Community Organizing, a new pathway for Entrepeneurship Reporting to you live from Native land today. As a small Native owned business, Heart Berry is also one of the fastest growing in the Midwest. But as a Native artist and CEO, I want to grow down and out, not only up. Alongside our collaborative partner Eighth Generation we have been able to build our reach and grow from pencil drawing and custom regalia to teaching, creating art installations, and donating thousands of dollars a year to local organizations. As Native people we often get told we are in two worlds. As an Anishinaabekwe I reject this idea. It pulls me in two...
The narrative about Dakota and Ojibwe relations has always been told as singlularly one of conflict. When St Cloud State proposed an art installation in their new American Indian Center, Heart Berry's artist Howes knew right away what she hoped for. "This area is so important as this place between our nations as Dakota and Ojibwe people. I really wanted to work with a Dakota artist on this project. Holly Young and I both loved the idea of sharing the story of the gift of the big drum from the Dakota. The Big drum to me is such an Incredible gift of grace." This pencil to digital collaboration pulls together the old stories with a modern installatin by Turtle Mountain sign...
