ETKIE Story

The word Etkie translates to mean "impact" in Turkish. I started working with a women's cooperative in Istanbul assisting artisans in creating a profitable platform for their handmade jewelry. The intent was to elevate their profit from meager sales to a reliable living wage. Returning to New Mexico, I launched Etkie with the same passion to create an ethical for- profit company that provides Native American beaders a platform to create contemporary designs using the artistic traditions passed down from generations. The team of artists earn living wages, impacting the choices they can make for themselves and their families. The artists live on the Navajo Nation where the roads to work are long and the jobs are nonexistent. Many of them elect to work from home on the land and in the community where their roots are deeply planted. 

The artisan's skill set is crafting incredible heirloom quality products and my talent is merchandising and accessing high-end markets. By working together, we have created a business that benefits everyone involved in the process. We are in the process of becoming a worker-owned cooperative and registered B-Corporation. 

In the spirit of true collaboration, our unique approach to traditional craftsmanship and modern design has developed into a global brand. ETKIE is sold in over 90+ retailers in seven countries and we have created custom collections for some of the world’s best museums. 

Handcrafted with our heart and soul, with no two pieces exactly the same, we hope you enjoy wearing your ETKIE piece.

With gratitude,

Sydney, Chelsea, Kerry, Priscilla, Cal, Valeen, Tanya, Destiny, Dru, + Naomi