5 places you can buy Native American made goods in Alabama
Reading time: 5 minutes
Did you know that Black Friday is also Native American Heritage Day? We scoured the Internet to find out where in Alabama you can find Native American-made goods. Keep reading to see what we learned.
1. Knotted Bird Gifts at Moundville Archaeological Park and Museum in Moundville
If you’re looking for Native American made goods and art, Knotted Bird Gifts at Moundville Archaeological Park and Museum is the closest place to Birmingham to begin your search.
If you’re not familiar with Moundville, it’s one of the nation’s premier heritage sites, and it’s a short drive from Tuscaloosa. Plus, it’s just a beautiful place to visit.
The park at Moundville is open seven days a week from dawn to dusk, and the gift shop is open from 9AM-5PM daily. Patrons must wear mask at all times and there’s a limit of 10 people per party.
Inside, you can find a wide variety of gift options, including handmade shell jewelry and handcrafted, flinted arrowheads.
- Location: 634 Mound State Parkway, Moundville, AL 35474
- Hours: 9-5 museum 7 days a week
- Contact: Native American Festival virtual gift shop | website | (205) 371-2572
2. Poarch Creek Cultural Center in Atmore
One day in the future, when you’re headed down I-65 to the beach, stop by Atmore to visit the Poarch Creek Indians Museum and Gift Shop. There you can see an exhibit showing how the tribes ancestors—the Muskogee Creek Indians—lived, and you can find authentic Native American items.
Right now, they’re closed to walk-in visitors, so check out their online offerings.
Brandy Chunn is our Museum Coordinator. Her email is bchunn@pci-nsn.gov and her number is 251-368-9136. She will be able to tell what items we have and how to order.
Location: 5484 Jack Springs Road, Atmore, AL 36502
Contact: website | Facebook | (251) 368-9136 | Email
3. Sacred Way Sanctuary in Florence
If you love horses, you need to know about Sacred Way Sanctuary in Florence, Alabama. Home to between 80-90 Indigenous Native American horses, they are a research, education and preservation facility. How cool is that?
They advocate for the preservation of the rare indigenous horse of the Americas and have a Governing Council comprised of Traditional Native Elders and Scholars from the US and Canada. They work together to ensure that the information they share and the way they care for horses are accurate and in line with traditional protocols—culturally, historically and spiritually.
To support this work, they have an online gift shop. You’ll find handcrafted, Native-made items along with stories and information about the original cultural purpose behind their creation.
To purchase items that go directly to the care and feeding of the horses, hop over here.
Location: 4409 County Road 200, Florence, AL 35633
Hours: Saturday 9AM-6PM and by appointment
4. Check with the Indian Arts and Crafts Board when you travel
If you’re traveling out of state and want to make sure you are supporting actual Native American artists, you’ll want to check out the Indian Arts and Crafts Board for listings.
This listing doesn’t come close to including everybody. Do your homework, find the artists and see what they’re working on. You may find some cool things and meet some awesome people along the way.
5. If you’d like to find other artists, here’s a useful directory from the National Congress of American Indians
Wondering how to go about finding other Native American artists? Here’s a super-useful directory. First select Southeast. Then look for the tribes listed under Alabama. You can reach out directly to each group and ask about their local artists.
Now tell us, Birmingham, do you have plans for Native American Heritage Day? Tag us on social @bhamnow and let us know.
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