Buy Native American Products

This thread is directed primarily towards our members in the USA and Canada. I would like to encourage our Brothers and sisters to buy Native American products whenever possible. Best if you can buy directly on a reservation. Most States and Provinces do have at least one reservation.

My reason for stressing this is that in doing so you are helping support the original inhabitants of America, not paying any federal or State taxes and getting excellent handmade or homegron products.

Look at the package and see if you are buying Native American.



Look for the tribal seal, which will be found somewhere on the package, here the Lakota fit it into the brand name



Read the description and remember in the USA it is illegal to label a product as being Native American unless it is produced by Native Americans.



Yes, it does cost more than store brands. but remember, it is produced in small quantities and with great care. the NA products are excellent and worth the extra price while helping a people that have more rights to this country than any of us.

That's interesting. Good idea to help those on the reservation find employment. The unemployment rate on the rez is horrible.

Keltoi said:

That's interesting. Good idea to help those on the reservation find employment. The unemployment rate on the rez is horrible.

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So true Keltoi. I can no longer visit the Rez without crying. Once getting to know the people their pain has really gotten to me. We read and hear about poverty in third world countries, yet do not look at our own backyards. The conditions on Pine ridge differ very little from what is found in poverty stricken nations. I believe the unemployment rate is nearly 36% out on Pine Ridge. the ones who are employed are not in gainful or constructive employment, they have fallen into the despair of gambling and a run down casino is the largest employer on Pine Ridge. The casino needs to be shut down and constructive employment be supported.

The Pine Ridge Indian reservation, home to the Oglala Lakota Sioux, is one of the largest and most impoverished reservations in the United States. Located in the southwest corridor of South Dakota, the reservation is geographically isolated, resting approximately 100 miles away from the nearest metropolitan area, Rapid City. The reservation is home to approximately 35,000 people, most of whom (80%) reside in Shannon County, the second poorest county in the nation. The town of Pine Ridge, which lies within the heart of Shannon County, is the largest town on the reservation and is the location of the tribal government offices. The tribal offices and the nearby Prairie Wind Casino, an establishment composed of three trailers resting on cinder blocks, are virtually the only source of employment on the reservation. Source:

http://www.consciousalliance.org/educate.pine.ridge.htm

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Indonesia, Feb-01-2009

To : Woodrow

I know maybe you cannot believe if I say I wanna cry when I read your post and read description on that popcorn package.
At the past, native American were prairie owner. And this present, they are living in reservation.

When I was a kid I tought something bad about Native American because in 'Cowboy movie' that I saw Native Americans were evil. They kill pioneer family, they kill Custer and his men.
Then when I was a teenager, I read books about Native Americans live in the past and in the present. I began to feel, Native Americans were not evil and 'Cowboy movie' is a racist movie.
And when I became adult I read a true story that change my mind about Native American and make me have a simphaty to Native Americans.
That is a story about Siting Bull, Ghost Dance, and Battle of Wounded Knee.

I know corn is a New World plant but before I read your post I didn't knew Popcorn was originaly created by Native American. I thought popcorn was created by European.
I remember to shoes trend in my country when late of 80's until early of 90's, a Mocasin, but that Mocasin was made by Indonesian shoemaker. I feel sad when I saw this reality, Native Americans are design owner but other people make that Mocasin. Other people get money and Native American get nothing.

And about that popcorn. I'm sure that popcorn is delicious but I can't go to America to buy that. I wish US and Canadian buy Native American products, and I hope in the future Native American can export their products to others countries.

Once again woodrow. Your post make me remember to a woman who came to my house when I was younger. She was an English teacher, she teach my mother. I don't remember what's her name, but I still remember she is a warm and friendly women. She has a sweetest smile on her face. She is a Native American.

Akhi ardianto,

I pass through Wounded Knee at least once a month. It is very dismal and sad. Even there the effects of poverty can be felt and seen. I did not take this picture, but it may let you feel what it is like to go by Wounded Knee.



Picture Source: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12837

Our treatment of the Native Americans should be a memory of shame and as Americans we do need to correct the errors our forefathers made in the past.

Jazaka Allahu khairan.

Thank you very much for that link.
Akhi Woodrow, when you come again to reservation, please send my sympathy to Native Americans.

Wasalamulaikum warahmatullahi wabarokatuh.

ardianto, maybe we can help them by importing those products to SE Asia... but uncle woodrow, there is one problem... our Malaysian consumers only buy food with "Halal" logo... maybe you can suggest the producers to put Halal and Kosher labels on those products for wider sales...

north_malaysian said:

ardianto, maybe we can help them by importing those products to SE Asia... but uncle woodrow, there is one problem... our Malaysian consumers only buy food with "Halal" logo... maybe you can suggest the producers to put Halal and Kosher labels on those products for wider sales...

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Good suggestion. Nearly all of the food products produced by the Lakota are grain or other plant products so most would be halal as they contain no animal products.

I believe there meat products would be haram as what they sell is wild game such as deer, Bison, Elk, etc. It is hunted and not slaughtered in a halal fashion.

But things like their wild rice, popcorn, bread flour, etc could easily be labelled Halal.

The wild rice from the Chippewa and Ojibwa tribes is fantastic. It is called rice, but it is not a true rice.


See here for more info: http://www.mooselakewildrice.com/

A tribe that sells it: http://www.bineshiiwildrice.com/

To uncle Woodrow.
I'm sorry if I didnt call you uncle but only Woodrow at my first post in this topic.
That is because I dont know about American culture. I know you are not a young man, but I thought in American culture someone call other with name only.
Please forgive me uncle Woodrow.

ardianto said:

To uncle Woodrow.
I'm sorry if I didnt call you uncle but only Woodrow at my first post in this topic.
That is because I dont know about American culture. I know you are not a young man, but I thought in American culture someone call other with name only.
Please forgive me uncle Woodrow.

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Nephew

that is no problem. Some of the members 'adopted me" and started calling me Uncle. It is not an American custom. You did nothing wrong in calling me Woodrow. My actual name that I now use in life is Abdullah Muhammad. Some of the members call me by that

Thank you very much uncle.

Woodrow said:

Akhi ardianto,

I pass through Wounded Knee at least once a month. It is very dismal and sad. Even there the effects of poverty can be felt and seen. I did not take this picture, but it may let you feel what it is like to go by Wounded Knee.

Picture Source: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12837

Our treatment of the Native Americans should be a memory of shame and as Americans we do need to correct the errors our forefathers made in the past.

Click to expand...

I've been to Pine Ridge once, and visited the Wounded Knee memorial. Then went down the road and visited the Crow reservation in Montana. It is like two different worlds. While the Crow rez isn't rich by any stretch of the imagination, it isn't nearly as poor as Pine Ridge. I wonder what is to blame for this? The only thing I can think of is the amount of tourist dollars that come into Harden/Crow Agency due to the Little Bighorn Battlefield.

I like Lakota, inshaa'Allaah if I see 'em in stores I will definitely buy their products insha'Allaah.

Keltoi said:

I've been to Pine Ridge once, and visited the Wounded Knee memorial. Then went down the road and visited the Crow reservation in Montana. It is like two different worlds. While the Crow rez isn't rich by any stretch of the imagination, it isn't nearly as poor as Pine Ridge. I wonder what is to blame for this? The only thing I can think of is the amount of tourist dollars that come into Harden/Crow Agency due to the Little Bighorn Battlefield.

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It is a good question as to why there is such disparity between the reservations. It seems to be a Sioux thing. Although I can not even attribute it to that, as Cheyenne River is comparable with the Montana Crow rez. But, poverty is rampant at all of the Rez I have been on. Just not on the same scale as Pine ridge.

I don't know why but I feel that all of the gold in the Black Hills may have something to do with it. Pine ridge has potentially some of the heaviest concentrations of unmined gold any place on earth.