Native Roots
“We didn’t set out to be the first Native-woman-owned brewery in the United States, but I’m told we are,” says Shyla Sheppard, founder of Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. She and her partner, Missy Begay, take inspiration from the American Southwest, incorporating traditional Indigenous ingredients into their craft beers. Sheppard grew up in western North Dakota, a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation). Begay, meanwhile, was born in Albuquerque and raised on the Navajo (Diné) Nation. The couple use those experiences to inform their beermaking, bringing a diverse perspective to the industry.