Cooperation is at the heart of a new women-owned quilting business on the Pine Ridge Reservation through Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation.
The Owíŋža Quilters Cooperative launched earlier this month and is the first social enterprise project of Thunder Valley CDC. Thunder Valley’s initiative aims to build community wealth through the development of new enterprises owned and run by local people.
Last year, several local quilt-makers decided to forgo competing against each other and instead came together to partner with Thunder Valley CDC, forming this business.
“Our mission is to create jobs and economic growth and we thought it was a great idea,” said Montana Sierra, social enterprise intern at Thunder Valley CDC. “The women all have a common goal and they’re striving for the same thing.”
Read more at thundervalley.org!