“Once you start growing food and saving seeds, you are no longer reliant on outside sources. We want to model self-sustainability.”

“I had been away from my family, back and forth for so long—a weekend dad. So the idea behind my business is that I’m going to stay here at home. And I’m going to use the internet to market myself.”

“A lot of people struggle on the rez, because there are no jobs. So we made our own jobs. We want to show people in our community you can make your own way.”

“Beyond it being a store, I’d like it to be a lifeline for the community, a place to update each other, a place of business, really a hub to bring people together.”

“I grew up reading fashion magazines. In each magazine, I did not see any girls who looked like me. As a designer, I have the opportunity to represent authentic Native Americans, so young girls can see themselves in my models and my designs.“

“People come to these facilities and utilize the equipment there,” Samuel says. “Not just the Hopi, not just Navajo or the Paiutes, but everyone. Diabetes doesn’t discriminate.”

“I felt like it was my duty to provide this service to the local community.”

“We grew up out here without any electricity or running water. It’s quiet, peaceful. We want to preserve our land and educate our guests about our lifestyle. We’d like our campground to help create jobs for the community and hire more local Navajos.”

“It feels good to offer people a healthier option,” Deal smiles. “You don’t have to travel for sushi anymore. There are healthy feel-good eats when you get tired of the café or fast food.”