The Insider
Indigenous Marketplaces You Can Shop Nothing beats an amazing marketplace in the summertime. Indian Country is home to many marketplaces, but two standout places to shop are Bison Star Naturals’ Outdoor Marketplace and Indigenous Marketplace San Diego.
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othing beats an amazing marketplace in the summertime. Indian Country is home to many marketplaces, but two standout places to shop are Bison Star Naturals Outdoor Marketplace and Indigenous Marketplace San Diego. You can shop for
food, fine art, jewelry, live plants and more at Bison Star Naturals’ outdoor marketplace and farmer’s market located in Taos, NM while Indigenous Marketplace San Diego offers an indoor shop of locally handmade art and wear.
Indigenous Marketplace San Diego Fashion designer and San Diego Fashion Week alum Marcie Bain (Karuk/Shasta), who designed haute couture dresses inspired by her Karuk heritage and passion of the outdoors for her label B.JASH.I., founded an indigenous marketplace and gallery in San Diego, California. Three years in the making, Bain finally opened The Indigenous Marketplace in October of last year. The market and gallery currently showcases handmade, high-quality items by twelve local artists from the San Diego area, primarily from Valley Center and consists of mostly indigenous-made art (more than 60%) alongside works by nonNative American artisans as well. What sets Indigenous Marketplace apart in addition to being a Native American-owned and operated business is its location. The marketplace is in a small country town with five local American Indian reservations nestled around it: Rincon, San Pasqual, Pauma, Pala, and Pechanga, as well as other reservations in San Diego County that are within an hours drive to the marketplace. Bain tells us her goal is to move to a larger space and start a co-op marketplace and open gallery and with it, an online store and mobile shop. “Our goal is to have about two hundred artists showcasing their work and will include a gallery setting to showcase canvas, pottery, and wearable art from various artists.” Visit Indigenous Marketplace at indigenousmarketplace.myshopify.com 20 NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE | JULY/AUGUST 2019
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