Feather Bear Forever
Imagine a world where people look at those different than themselves and first see the many similarities between them. This is our mission at Feather Bear.
From Indian country to the frontlines of Iraq, we’ve seen the life-changing impact that comes from deep understandings about the cultures of others. Because when we understand others, we see that we’re more similar than different. And this understanding helps us feel comfortable around everyone, making possible meaningful relationships with people from all backgrounds.
But learning about all of the thousands of cultures around us – many indigenous cultures hidden in plain sight – is not easy. Which is why we created Feather Bear, a values-driven Native American Owned Clothing Company that believes our kids deserve better tools to learn about other cultures so they can live more connected and fulfilling lives. KC Elvis, a US Army Airborne Combat Veteran in Iraq, co-founded Feather Bear to serve as a place for cultures of all people to be shared – including indigenous people. Elvis grew up in a Native American-Athabascan village in rural Alaska, only accessible by airplane and boat. The village struggled with many crimes, from suicide to sexual assault.
Village elders hypothesized that a tragic lack of culture-based values, standard-setting norms and comfort-giving traditions was the reason for the generation’s turmoil. So they started a program to teach the village youth about many different Native American cultures, with an emphasis on the values historically present in the community. Lessons were shared through stories, like tribes surviving harsh Alaskan winters by sharing food and resources with others helped set a standard for village youth that changed the community profoundly. Today, suicide in the community is non-existent. Crime rates significantly dropped. Cultural teachings weren’t the entire solution, but it certainly was a starting point that greatly improved peoples’ lives.
These teachings were later shared through the first Boys and Girls Club in Native American country. The Club became a safe place to learn about values through culture and find support from hard home environments. Much later, in high school, Elvis met his co-founder, a San Carlos Apache from the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, in a Native American boarding school on the wrestling team. They were raised in harsh circumstances; but while their upbringing could have led them in a negative direction, cultural immersion helped them both find purpose. The founders strongly believe in working with and helping provide safe places for kids. Our long-term vision for Feather Bear is to partner with organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, to use a portion of profits to support more children, so that they may have safe spaces to learn and connect.
