“We are still here.” Shyla Sheppard, member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, explains that this is something she must remind others about, adding that Native people are not just a part of this country’s history. To be encountered by the misconception that you and your people no longer exist is not fathomable to me as a white American. Sheppard faces not only this fallacy, but also deeply rooted, harmful beliefs about Native people, some of which involve alcohol.
Sheppard is the founder and CEO of Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. in Albuquerque. “We are the first Native American woman-owned brewery and recognize the importance of dispelling harmful stereotypes and demonstrating that as Native people, we can also be successful entrepreneurs, brewers, distillers, and winemakers,” she explains. The latest success at six-year-old Bow & Arrow is the nationwide Native Land collaboration initiative.
Along with her partner, creative director and co-founder Missy Begay, a member of the Navajo (Diné) nation, Sheppard launched Native Land to create awareness not only of land acknowledgements, which they note have been growing nationwide, but also to fuel Native American causes. They’ve invited craft brewers to participate, and 30 breweries across 17 states are committed. The requirements are to brew the Bow & Arrow IPA recipe and release the beer before March, and to donate proceeds to a Native American nonprofit focused on ecological stewardship and/or strengthening Native communities. Under Begay’s design leadership, Bow & Arrow released artwork for Native Land that also prompts breweries to indicate the Native nations whose land they share.
Native Land is only the latest project Sheppard and Begay have spearheaded. They’ve leveraged their personal and cultural histories to craft beer with 100% foraged Neomexicanus hops for use in a completely regionally sourced beer. The two also just opened a second location in Farmington, New Mexico called Rambler Taproom, with the goal of reaching more rural drinkers and inviting them into an inclusive fold. The future is bright for these two innovative women.
Words,Paige Latham Didora