Heart Berry

Heart Berry is a Native-owned small business that creates contemporary design rooted in traditional Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) art and stories. The brand's name comes from the Ojibwe word for strawberry, Ode'imin, which translates literally to "heart berry." Founded by Sarah Agaton Howes (Anishinaabe), the business began as House of Howes in a kitchen in Northern Minnesota on the reservation in 2014, initially as a small custom regalia business. Howes created custom beadwork, quilts, regalia, and moccasins for clients across the Midwest. As demand for cultural art and tools grew beyond what she could manage alone, she shifted to teaching her community how to be makers. In 2014, Nooksack artist and teacher Louie Gong contacted Howes to join the Inspired Native™ Project, a mentorship initiative connected to his Native lifestyle brand Eighth Generation. This mentorship helped shape Howes's entrepreneurial path. In 2019, House of Howes became Heart Berry. The brand offers original art and design, custom art services, and a range of products including apparel such as the SovereignT, wool blankets, and other goods. Heart Berry also operates Ode'imini-Danakiiwining, or Heart Berry House, a nonprofit focused on reconnecting and building cultural learning through tools, classes, and seasonal cohorts with Ojibwe language as the lead. The brand emphasizes community building, cultural revitalization, and reciprocity, exemplified by its Native Excellence Scholarship, funded in part by proceeds from sales. Heart Berry sells through its website and offers wholesale and bulk ordering for stores and events. The company is based in Northern Minnesota and operates primarily in the United States.

Heart Berry's history is rooted in the personal and artistic journey of its founder, Sarah Agaton Howes, an Anishinaabe artist from Northern Minnesota. The business began in 2014 as House of Howes, a small custom regalia business operating out of a kitchen on the reservation. Howes created custom beadwork, quilts, regalia, and moccasins for clients across the Midwest. As demand for her cultural art and cultural tools grew beyond what she could manage alone, she recognized the need to shift her approach. She began teaching her community how to be makers, empowering others to create. In the same year, in Seattle, Washington, Nooksack artist and teacher Louie Gong was building Eighth Generation, a Native lifestyle brand, and had launched the Inspired Native™ Project to mentor Native arts entrepreneurs. Gong contacted Howes in 2014 to invite her to join the project. Howes has described her excitement at being contacted by someone she admired, saying, "I literally clicked my heels. Imagine the person you admire the most sending you a message asking if you'd like to work with them!" She embraced the opportunity fully. Gong's mentorship helped shape her entrepreneurial path and continues to influence Native entrepreneurs. In 2019, House of Howes was renamed Heart Berry, a name derived from the Ojibwe word for strawberry, Ode'imin, which literally means "heart berry." The brand's art is embedded in the Ojibwe Floral tradition, bringing to life the foods, medicines, and stories of her community. Heart Berry has since expanded its offerings to include original art and design, custom art services for individuals, organizations, tribes, and architects, and a range of products such as apparel (including the SovereignT), wool blankets, and other goods. The brand also operates Ode'imini-Danakiiwining, or Heart Berry House, a nonprofit dedicated to reconnecting and building cultural learning through tools, classes, and seasonal cohorts with the Ojibwe language as the lead. Heart Berry emphasizes community building and cultural revitalization, and has established the Native Excellence Scholarship, funded in part by proceeds from sales, to support young Native scholars. The company sells through its website and offers wholesale and bulk ordering. It remains a Native-owned, private business based in Northern Minnesota.

• 2025

  First Native Excellence Scholarship of $1060 awarded.

• 2019

  House of Howes rebrands as Heart Berry.

• 2014

  House of Howes founded as a small custom regalia business in Northern Minnesota.

• 2014

  Sarah Agaton Howes joins the Inspired Native™ Project, mentored by Louie Gong.

Contemporary Native design rooted in Ojibwe tradition, emphasizing cultural revitalization, community building, and reciprocity.

• SovereignT

  A statement T-shirt available On Demand, printed locally at Duluth Screen Printing. Five dollars from each purchase goes to the Native Excellence Scholarship Fund.

• Wildflower Denim Jacket

  A denim jacket complementing the SovereignT look.

• Wool Blankets

  Contemporary Native design wool blankets.

1. 1Heart Berry | Contemporary Native Design | Wool Blanketsheartberry.com
2. 2Origin Story – Heart Berryheartberry.com
3. 3SovereignT - On Demand – Heart Berryheartberry.com
4. 4Heart Berry - Wikidatawikidata.org