A woman-owned, Indigenous-led Phoenix business provides a safe environment for local artists, designers and entrepreneurs to sell their products and support each other.
Located on Third Street in Roosevelt Row, downtown Phoenix’s art district, Cahokia hosted an open-house style art show featuring Indigenous artists and business owners during First Friday on April 1.
“Before Cahokia, we didn’t necessarily have a space to be able to introduce our Indigenous foods,” said Rochelle Garcia, owner of Blue Corn Custom Design, or BCCD.
BCCD is a small business that supports the Indigenous farmers and herbalists of the Navajo Nation, with its focal point being corn, a spiritual vegetable for this community.
From clay pipes to mountain tobacco and blue cornmeal, Garcia focuses all of her products on traditional Indigenous foods.
“I’m able to use my voice here at Cahokia without it being whitewashed or downplayed because of the gentrification of downtown Phoenix,” said Rocio Francis, owner of Morning Mist Soap Company. “It’s hard to find safe places for us as Indigenous people but here everyone is welcome. It’s just this time around, we have a spotlight.”
Francis is an ambassador for Cahokia and has been selling her products there since it opened a year ago, she said.
Morning Mist Soap Company began through the inspiration of Francis’s ancestors. Her family was one of the few Natives that worked in agriculture and she wanted to “re-Indigenize” skincare, according to Francis.
“I grow my own ingredients and food to heal generational trauma through my soaps and lotions and skincare,” Francis said.
Similarly, Teresa Ami also had a booth on Friday displaying her business, MudHead Soap and Skincare Co.
Related: Cahokia celebrates art and collaborative traditions of Indigenous peoples
With a history in the medical field and chronic skin conditions, Ami spent years searching for a skincare line that was all-natural and sustainable, she said. When she couldn’t find one, she made one.
Using traditional teachings she learned from the Hopi Tribe, MudHead Soap and Skincare Co. uses goat’s milk and aloe vera in all the products, never adding any chemical fragrance.
Apart from skincare products, various Indigenous designers appeared on Friday as well, including Sandy Sands, a beaded earrings creator.
“I’m from Northern Arizona, the Navajo tribe. So most of my inspiration comes from the Navajo basket design,” said Sands, as she traced her finger over the colorful pattern on a pair of earrings.
Cahokia is a place for Indigenous communities to come together and celebrate their culture. Entrepreneurs embrace who they are and who their ancestors are.
Richelle Key is an emergent artist that the founders of Cahokia have helped connect with big opportunities to share her art with Phoenix. She recently collaborated with Artopia to create a mural that emphasizes her Indigenous culture.
So whether an artist, designer or entrepreneur, Cahokia has made a safe place to explore one’s talents and get connected to the members of downtown Phoenix.
Stephanie Mitchell, the creator of Mod Sani LLC, sells all-natural products using traditional Navajo herbs and combining them with modern oils to “blend two worlds into one,” she said.
A common theme throughout the night was the support each business is providing for each Indigenous community. Many of the products had ingredients local to the reservations and many of the proceeds were given in support of the farmers.
Related: Indigenous community advocates for representation in fashion
MudHead Soap and Skincare Co. has a goal of working with all 22 federally recognized tribes in Arizona. Ami has worked with five so far, whether it’s through gift baskets or monetary donations for scholarships.
“We’re all about giving back to our community because, at the end of the day, that’s basically that’s what it comes down to,” Ami said. “We’re always supporting one another.”
Contact the reporter at mrlovin@asu.edu.
