November is National Native American Heritage Month. Celebrate by attending a local art market featuring more than 40 Indigenous artists or by supporting one of these Wisconsin-based Indigenous-owned businesses offering handmade items, unique beverages, and more.
Blue Bear Studio
The namesake of this Baraboo art studio is contemporary Native American artist Christopher Sweet’s Ho-Chunk name, Huuc Coo Ga — or “Blue bear.” The works of Sweet, an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and White Earth Ojibwe, have been exhibited in galleries across the Midwest, including at the Overture Center. At Blue Bear Studio, visitors can peruse Sweet’s colorful acrylic paintings, prints, tote bags and other wares. 612 Oak St., Baraboo
Canndigenous
Canndigenous’ signature THC seltzer comes in bright, patterned cans proclaiming “Native American Owned.” As the name implies, Canndigenous is an Indigenous business offering hemp-derived products, like CBD gummies, oils and of course, seltzers. Based in Cambridge, Wisconsin, Canndigenous seltzers are sold at four Madison locations: The Rigby Pub(119 E. Main St.), Tavernakaya(27 E. Main St.), Capital Centre Market(111 N. Broom St.) and Willy Street Co-op(2817 N. Sherman Ave.).
Copper Crow Distillery
The shores of Lake Superior are home to Copper Crow Distillery (37395 State Hwy 13, Bayfield), which, when it opened in 2017, became North America’s first Indigenous-owned distillery. The distillery offers 12 spirits, including gin, spiced rum, amaretto and vodka — all crafted using sustainably sourced ingredients, like water from Lake Superior’s aquifer. It’s almost a six-hour road trip from Madison to the distillery in Bayfield, but Copper Crow’s products can be found less than an hour away at My Tipsy Gypsy in Paoli (6890 Paoli Road, Belleville) or at the Lake House Inn in Edgerton (1612 E. Hotel Drive, Edgerton).
Native Art Market 2025
On Nov. 8, more than 40 artists will showcase their work at the Arts + Literature Laboratory’s third-annual Native Art Market. Browse traditional and contemporary artworks, including quillwork, leather goods, clothing, beadwork and more, then return the next day at 7 p.m. to catch a performance by Bizhiki, a band that blends traditional powwow singing with electronic indie music. Nov. 8, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 111 S. Livingston St.
Spinning Handiworks
Tucked inside the East Towne mall, Spinning Handiworks is a colorful family-owned boutique stocked with handmade items, including elaborate beaded jewelry, blankets made from alpaca wool and children’s clothing and toys. Part of the Kichwa-Otavalo community, the owners of Spinning Handiworks share their art and craftsmanship to preserve ancestral knowledge and express Indigenous identity. 66 E. Towne Way
Wild Bearies
Wild Bearies’ catering service is one of the only ways to try authentic Indigenous meals in Madison, but it’s much more than just that. Chef Elena Terry, founder of Wild Bearies, created the nonprofit as a tool for education and outreach, with Culinary Mentorship and Garden Programs. Speaking of gardens, the chefs at Wild Bearies prepare ancestral foods with their own fresh-grown ingredients to promote traditional food systems.
Elsa Englebert and Lily Spanbauer are editorial interns at Madison Magazine.…