It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Native Americans discovered beer. Re-writing the History of Native Americans and Alcohol Photography courtesy of 7 Clans Brewing Through their use of ingredients to the art on their cans, Native American-owned breweries are writing their own narratives and reclaiming their Indigenous identity. And in Southern California, Rincon Reservation Road Brewery (3R Brewery) recently rebranded to better speak to their mission of sharing the culture of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians.Īlthough each Native-owned brewery represents a different tribe, they stand for something more than good beer. Similarly, 7 Clans Brewing, founded by Morgan Crisp, uses powerful imagery and beer names to represent her Eastern Band of Cherokee tribe in North Carolina. “We’re trying to educate non-Natives more about who we are and what we’re capable of through the brewery, our beer names, and our branding.” “If we want an accurate story told, we have to be the ones to tell the story,” says Keyes.

And now more than ever, we’re seeing this idea expressed by the small but growing number of Native American-owned breweries, many of which are using craft beer to share the stories, traditions, and customs of their tribes.įounded by Jake Keyes in 2018, Skydance Brewing in Oklahoma City, OK, strives to be a voice for the Ioway (or Iowa) tribe. As a tool, craft beer can creatively enact change. Over the past few years, we’ve seen craft beer used as a tool to promote opportunities in the beer industry, provide gateways for minority- and women-owned breweries, and even decrease gun violence.

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