Founder Feature: Colleen Echohawk of Eighth Generation

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we chatted with Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee and Athabascan), CEO of Eighth Generation. Eighth Generation is a Seattle-based art and lifestyle brand owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe, founded in 2008 by Louie Gong (Nooksack).

Eighth Generation provides a strong, ethical alternative to “Native-inspired” art and products through its artist-centric approach and 100% Native-designed products.

Read more below on Colleen’s story, why she joined the Eighth Generation team, her advice for entrepreneurs and much more.

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Colleen!

What drove you to join the team at Eighth Generation?

My kids! When they found out I had the opportunity to join Eighth Generation they told me “Mom, you have to do this!” I’ve been an admirer of the company for a long time, and a friend of founder Louie Gong’s for over 20 years. When Louie called me and said I should consider the position, it felt like there was a really good synergy between the arts entrepreneurship Eighth Generation does and the community empowerment work I have done. My whole career has been about entrepreneurship and business with the Native community, so the possibilities of working with Native artists to bring their art and design to the marketplace really excites me. Working with Eighth Generation continues my personal mission to bring justice and prosperity to the Native community. Just like the previous work in my career, Eighth Generation is about building people up. I’m so excited to be part of such an important and inspiring organization!

What should people know about the business?

It’s the coolest company in town! As a customer, it is such a unique, special experience to know that you are buying from a Native artist and supporting them as they make their livelihood from their art. With how prevalent cultural appropriation is in our country, companies like Eighth Generation are really crucial alternatives for people who want to purchase cultural art in an ethical way. You can go into our store or on our website and see every single product has a Native artist connected to it. You can read about the artist, learn about the thousands of years of tradition behind their work, and be inspired by how each artist is passing along their teachings and stories to us so generously. I think every home in the U.S. should have Native designs in it. And because of businesses like Eighth Generation, that’s completely possible. If you’re a conscious buyer, you’re going to love our company.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who are looking to bring their passions to life?

Dream huge dreams: the world needs people to have big dreams and visions. And don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it to make those dreams come true. Surround yourself with people who are rooting for your success, share that big idea with people who can encourage you and help you refine your vision. Then once you really know what you want to do, find ways to build good systems around your dream, because you need those good systems for your dream to succeed. Finally, don’t be afraid to change, to shift things when new and better opportunities or information appear. When you start off with one kind of vision, often it will evolve into something even better, and that can be so beautiful and so cool.

Tell us more about your work with the Coalition to End Urban Indigenous Homelessness?

The Coalition (CEUIH) started because myself and other Native people were so frustrated that our own relatives were experiencing the highest rates homelessness in the country. The Native people experiencing homeless needed their relatives to take action, and so we did. Starting the CEUIH was very personal, was very passion driven, because no one else was doing anything about this problem that desperately needed a solution. The Coalition continues to inspire me and we are doing some really important things on behalf of really important people.

What inspires you?

So many things inspire me. Right now, some of the things that inspire me most are the staff and team here at Eighth Generation. They’re all incredible people who are doing what no one else has done before, and it’s such a remarkable, fun group of people to be with each day. Of course, my kids inspire me—they’re so funny and they have so many good ideas. My kids and my husband have been so supportive of me taking this job and in everything I do, which always inspires me to do more, be better, and keep striving.

If you could give advice to your younger self, what would it be?

I would tell myself to find an Indigenous mentor and hold onto them with all I’ve got. I was not ready for college: I flailed around because I was in a system that was really not set up for me. It wasn’t until I had that mentor that everything shifted and I felt like I had a place in the academic system. I look back on how long it took me to get my bachelor’s degree and think about how much sooner I could have been pursuing my career if I had had the proper mentorship. I can’t stress enough the importance of finding that mentor who’s really going to believe in you and help you soar. In addition to a mentor, surround yourself with positive people. Look for people who are going to support your dreams, and don’t be afraid to have boundaries.

What does Native American Heritage Month mean to you?

We are all of us on Native lands, so really every month, every day is a reason to celebrate and honor Native American Heritage. Every single day I’m thinking about, praying for, and fighting for our communities. Native American Heritage Month is an opportunity for our country to come to grips a little bit with some of the history that has happened in this country—to recognize the experiences Native peoples had with forcible relocation, the boarding school experience, taking notice of the many Native people experiencing homeless today, and supporting the Native people taking action around these issues. It's also an opportunity to celebrate the beautiful, meaningful history and lives of Native people, and to support Native artists, business, and entrepreneurs.

What are some of your favorite things to do in Seattle? If someone were spending 24 hours there, what should they do?

There are so many fun things to do in Seattle that you can’t go wrong no matter what you choose. But if I only had twenty-four hours here, I would definitely take my family and dog to our favorite Seattle park—Carkeek—and hike the trails there down to the beach. After that, I’d go to brunch with friends at Portage Bay Café, and then head to Pike Place Market. My Market visit would start with coffee at Ghost Alley Espresso, then I’d check out [the Eighth Generation] store at the Market and browse the other great stores and vendor stalls. I’d check out Tlingit artist Harmony Hoss’s art booth—she’s had a stall at the Market for almost 15 years now! And of course, I’d end the day by going to a Kraken game.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Eighth Generation is the fastest growing Native-owned home goods business in the country. We use an Indigenous lens on everything we do—from how we run our warehouse to invoicing to the way we treat our staff and what kind of companies we work with. That’s a moment of justice that’s important to our country. So much of the consumer market has been dominated by the same people, so having a Native-owned business in the home goods space is such a cool opportunity for everyone. It’s fun for us in the Native community, and a real point of pride to see a Native-owned business working in the global marketplace. Eighth Generation provides a great opportunity for consumers to have an ethical alternative to “Native-inspired,” and to let everyone know it’s not only okay, it’s encouraged to buy authentic Native art from real Native artists so we support the continuation of our beautiful culture. Everything Eighth Generation does is so unique and special, and part of why I love working here.

For CorePower Yoga customers, I really hope you check us out for things you need as part of your yoga practice like towels and tote bags. We’re working on a brand-new design to launch water bottles in 2023 and can’t wait to share those with you. We put meaning and good medicine into each and every product at Eighth Generation, which we hope you feel when you use them as part of your yoga practice.