SEATTLE — Eighth Generation, an authentic Native American goods store formerly in Pike Place Market, has moved to a bigger location just across the street.
The new location is at 1406 First Avenue, right across from the entrance to the market.
The business celebrated the move and its grand re-opening Thursday with a traditional drummer and singer who shared songs on the sidewalk outside the store, opening remarks and a ribbon cutting by Snoqualmie Tribe Chairman Robert de los Angeles and Eighth Generation CEO Colleen Echohawk.
"More and more people are asking themselves, you know, 'Am I a conscious buyer? Do I know what I'm buying?' and when you're buying Native art and design in Seattle, people are asking those questions, 'Who is the artist? What tribe are they from and how can I understand this art?' and that's what we offer here at Eighth Generation," Echohawk told KING 5 at the event. "Every single one of our products comes with the name of the artist, their tribe and a little bit about what the product is all about."
Festivities also featured a talk and art signing by Eighth Generation founder, artist, and educator Louie Gong.
The move out of Pike Place will give the store "greater visibility and findability for tourists," according to a blog post on the business's website. The business said the store was difficult for tourists to find in Pike Place's Atrium, and visitors commonly asked how to find it. The business has also outgrown the Pike Place location, as it plans to add nearly 100 new products in 2023 alone, according to the blog.
Eighth Generation opened its brick-and-mortar store in Pike Place Market in 2016. It was the first Native-owned business to ever have a permanent storefront in the market, "reclaiming space in a geographical location that had previously been inhabited by Native Americans since time immemorial," according to the business's website. The store was purchased by the Snoqualmie Tribe in 2019.