Native American Health Center launched the Indigenous Red Market in 2018 as a unique approach to providing stronger, more culturally informed Indigenous healthcare and wellness services. This event is a safe gathering space where community members can celebrate their culture, share their art as a vendor, and build community.
The cultural marketplace is also a critical economic development opportunity for our Indigenous community members. In 2019, we created the Indigenous Red Market Entrepreneurship Program to provide our community with business development resources and entrepreneurial training that emphasized cultural values and practices. The Program offers our vendors and other Indigenous entrepreneurs networking and collaboration opportunities that are unique for Indigenous small business owners.
Since its inception, the Indigenous Red Market has grown to feature 40 vendors, a robust cultural entertainment program, and is now attended by over 1,200 visitors per event. It has steadily grown in recognition and presence, and has been acknowledged as a different, exciting, modern urban Native cultural experience that serves to educate, empower, and heal our community.
Indigenous Red Market has been featured in Thrillist, The Oaklandside, KQED, Oakland Voices, and Visit California. To highlight Indigenous Red Market on your platform, email Communications@nativehealth.org.
The Market is supported by the City of Oakland’s Neighborhood Voices cultural funding program.
