There's never been a brand like tribally-owned Eighth Generation!

Eighth Generation is a Seattle-based art and lifestyle brand owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. It was founded in 2008 by artist, activist, and educator Louie Gong (Nooksack), and was purchased by the Snoqualmie Tribe in 2019—making them the first tribe to own a lifestyle brand. As the the first Native-owned company to ever produce Native-designed wool blankets, Eighth Generation is a proud participant in the global economy.

Eighth Generation provides a strong, ethical alternative to “Native-inspired” art and products through our artist-centric approach and 100% Native designed products. We are reclaiming a market that has been dominated by non-Native companies using stolen and fake “Native-inspired” designs by investing in Native creativity, capacity, entrepreneurship, and values. Through our Inspired Natives® Project, which is anchored by the tagline “Inspired Natives®, not Native-inspired,” we build business capacity among cultural artists while addressing the economic impact of cultural appropriation. 

Louie Gong and the Eighth Generation staff in 2016

In 2015, Eighth Generation became the first Native-owned business in the US or Canada to sell Native-designed wool blankets, reclaiming a market that had been dominated by non-Native companies using fake "Native-inspired" designs for over a century. That same year, Louie and several important community members, including Colleen Echohawk, presented before the Pike Place Market board to discuss the critical importance of having a Native-owned business in Pike Place Market. We opened our flagship store in the Market in 2016, quickly becoming a beloved fixture in the neighborhood. 

We launched our own made-in-house Gold Label Collection of wool textiles in 2020—another first for a Native-owned business. In 2022, Louie stepped down as CEO (although he remains an Inspired Natives® Collaborator), and we were joined by Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee, Athabaskan) as our new CEO. In 2023, we moved our flagship store to a large, sun-drenched space just across the street from Pike Place Market—staying in the bustling Downtown Seattle neighborhood while gaining valuable square footage to showcase all our new designs.

In 2025, we look forward to welcoming our next CEO (details to come!) who will continue the foundational work of Louie Gong and Colleen Echohawk, while taking our brand truly global. We continue to grow each year, adding more artists to our roster, more designs to our collections, and more prosperity to Indian Country. 

About the Snoqualmie Tribe

Leadership Bios

Michelle Brown (Diné), Creative Director

Michelle Brown (Diné) graduated from the prestigious Parsons School of Design in 2014 and has worked for fashion icons including Polo Ralph Lauren and Lane Bryant. Most recently, Brown was the Director of Product Design for Nena & Co., a handbag retailer dedicated to fair artist/producer relationships and sharing authentic cultural designs from across the globe. 

"As a designer and creative, my mission has always been to craft intentionally-designed products that tell meaningful stories,” said Brown. “I am thrilled by the opportunity to apply my design expertise while collaborating with accomplished artists to champion Indigenous entrepreneurship and design. My goal at Eighth Generation is to innovate and elevate this already inspiring brand to new heights."

Lacee Shepard (Odawa), Director of Business Development

Lucas Short, Chief Operations Officer 

Luke Short joined Eighth Generation in 2021 as our Shipping and Logistics Specialist, becoming our COO in 2023. He has a strong background in leadership with a keen eye for logistics and operations, having managed warehouses and inventory for Major League Baseball teams and national cell phone companies. Luke is also a veteran, having served in the US Navy, and is the proud pet parent of Eighth Generation's office dog, Boomer. 

Past CEO Colleen Echohawk's bio

Founder and Past CEO Louie Gong's bio

Eighth Generation Awards & Notable Achievements 

• 2025 inclusion in Interwoven Histories: Contemporary Art, Migratory Narratives and Textiles book by curator and textile researcher Christel Vesters
• 2024 products in TV show Echo 
• 2024 inclusion in Enquête Exclusive's documentary exploring contemporary Native artists
• 2023 Coast Salish Pattern Wool Blanket on the October cover of British Vogue featuring Lily Gladstone (Blackfeet) and Leonardo DiCaprio
  
• 2023 Google Pixel for Business feature
• 2023–2025 products in TV show Shoresy 
• 2022 produced wool textiles for Academy Award-winning film Wakanda Forever
• 2021 "40 Under 40" Awardees: COO Serene Lawrence (Ojibwe) and Retail & Special Projects Manager Stephanie Masterman (Tlingit) - National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development 
• 2019 Small Business Empowerment Award - National Center for American Indian Economic Development
• 2019 Top Native Entrepreneurship List - Native Business Magazine
• 2018 Woody Crumbo Award for the Preservation and Advancement of American Indian Art - Michell Museum
• 2016 Adeline Garcia's Community Service Award - Seattle Indian Health Board 
• 2015 Faces of Indian Country - Indian Country Today 
• 2015 Top 10 Inspirational Natives: Past and Present - Native Max's Magazine 

About Eighth Generation Artists

Eighth Generation only works with authentic Native (Native American, First Nations, or Indigenous) artists. Proof of tribal enrollment, as well as other factors, may be used in our assessment of whether an artist is a good match for the Eighth Generation brand. 

• Proof of tribal enrollment (required)
• Demonstrated engagement with tribal communities over time
• Vetting by tribal communities as demonstrated by prior art projects
• Continuity between the artist's creative practice and traditions/themes of their own tribal community