This holiday season (or really any time,) I might suggest the PERFECT Christmas gift just may be made, created and sold by an awesome indigenous artist or entrepreneur. Below is a list of some of my favorite Native-owned artists, shops, and companies to purchase from, as well as books and lists others have gathered. It’s admittedly heavy on the Tlingit coolness but… well, you’ve probably met me. That’s just how it is.
I’d LOVE if you’d add to the list in the comments, and/or share it on your own page. Purchasing these kind of gifts not only gets you or someone you love an awesome, authentically Native-created gift, but is wonderful for Native artists, authors, and business owners themselves, contributing wonderfully to the economy of the community.
NOTE: This is a post from a few years ago but I’ve updated links and added a few.
Planet Alaska Online Shop A growing online store with books, beauty, art, medicinals.
Mt. Juneau Trading Post Art, art, more Native art! Drums, masks, jewelry.
Arxotica Soaps and oils and lotions and wonderful things from ingredients harvested right here in Alaska.
Trickster Co. Cool Tlingit-design clothing, basketballs, jewelry, stickers, books.
The Cedar Box Carved beautiful Tlingit things, sea otter fur pillows, canned salmon, home goods.
NTVS: The Originals Artist Steven Paul Judd’s amazing tshirts, stickers, and so, so much Indigenous coolness.
Collective49 A great site with lots of great gifts from different Indigenous makers!
Eek Hit Tlingit Artists And if you want a CUSTOM cedar hat, check out my mama’s work!
Honyoutink Very cool designs from Hopi artists.
INDIGENOUS-AUTHORED BOOKS
Sealaska Heritage Store Awesome kid’s books (board and picture), as well as lots of language resources.
Books for Grown Ups by Indigenous Authors (list)
Books for Kids and Teens by Indigenous Authors (lists) Biblio CommonsIndigenous Reads
Birchbark Books is a Native-owned bookstore that does online orders!
Raven Reads Books Get Indigenous literature shipped right to you in a subscription box! For grown ups or for kids.
AYYU’S COMPILATION
A few years ago, my friend Ayyu Qassataq compiled a Facebook list of indigenous Alaskan artists she loves, and it’s a GOOD LIST. Here’s her post (most links are Facebook pages): As we are swinging into the season where the pressure is on to buy, buy, buy *stuff* that demonstrates our love and affection for one another, might I suggest supporting local Alaska Native artists and businesses like the ones below? They are often one-of-a-kind beautiful items, and the purchase supports our artists where they live; a total win-win. Feel free to add to the list in the comments if you know of other great artists, groups, pages or businesses 
Alaska Native Made Qaspeqs, Kuspuks, Atikłuks, Be’tsegh/Me’tsegh Hoolaanh Purchase atikłuks/qaspeqs/be’tsegh hoolaanhs directly from Alaska Native artists all over the state, year round – I have personally purchased quite a few (including from: Emily Leon, SewQuya, and Qaspeqs by Bridget) and they are so beautiful.
Alaska Barter and Seller’s Page One of my favorite groups to barter, sell and trade with amazing Native artists all over the state – from jewelry to parkas and mukluks, carvings to masks, ulus to mittens… seriously beautiful artistry.
Bering Strait Arts and Crafts A great group specific to the Bering Strait region, highlighting some of the incredible artistry distinct to our region, including carved ivory art, jewelry, tools and more from Gambell to Unalakleet, Shishmaref to Stebbins – set up and run by Kawerak.
Nomadic Stars An eco-friendly screen printing shop in Fairbanks run and owned by awesome Native folks (like Odin) featuring beautiful designs on great quality clothes – you know how much we Natives love our tees and hoodies, lol.
Bobby Itta Designs Bobby is a wonder – she makes everything from gorgeous mukluks to edgy, beautiful earring, atikłuks and more.
Saltwater Sisters These Iñupiaq ladies – including Katak – from Kikiktagruk (Kotzebue) are ridiculously awesome – they make and teach how to make beautiful atikłuks, baby mukluks, and just about anything that is sewable – and – they make it look ridiculously easy, “Oh, I sewed this parky on my lunch hour.” LOL, I jokes… but just barely.
Inupiaq Custom Mary Designs I love watching for Mary’s posts from Noatak about her work making traditional mukluks and parkas – she often posts step by step instructions, and her work is so beautiful.
UNTESTED LISTS
But I’m going to check out a bunch of these!
Buy Native List from Beyond Buckskins
7 Brands and Artisans from The Good Trade
SHAMELESS PLUGGING
Here are some fun things to buy as a gift that I’ve had a hand in. But I also think they are fun and they are definitely Indigenous-supporting!
A Tlingit Christmas Carol album are songs you can download from the play I wrote, “A Tlingit Christmas Carol” – mostly “Indigenized” Christmas songs. All the songs are composed and sung (with a few cool exceptions) by Tlingit musician Ed Littlefield, lyrics by me.
A Tlingit Christmas Caroling and Coloring book is a fun book with Tlingit formline Christmas designs to color, and the lyrics to the songs in the play. I wrote the lyrics and designed the book, and Tlingit artist Don Starbard (my dad!) did all the illustrations.
Raven Steals the Toilet Paper is a children’s book I wrote and my dad Don Starbard illustrated. It imagines what Raven might have done with the pandemic.