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hello@evergreengift.shop
Mary Big Bull-Lewis
was born & raised in Wenatchee, WA.
She is a member of the Colville Confederated Tribe in Washington State - from Moses, Entiat, and Wenatchi bands & a descendant of the Blackfoot Tribe in Brocket, Alberta, Canada.
She is an Indigenous Entrepreneur who enjoys creating space where space was not made. She continues to learn and adapt while living in two worlds - living in “two worlds” as she takes back her cultural identity, yet continues to move forward in a contemporary time.
Mary has a diverse background as a cake decorator, legal supervisor, medical field, entrepreneur. She is the founder and Chair of an Indigenous-led nonprofit, the Indigenous Roots & Reparation Foundation.
Rob Lewis
has an extensive creative background and helps brings the designs to life.
He is originally from Portland, Oregon.
Rob has studied at the Art Institute in Phoenix, and has been working in the graphic design industry since. He has worked in the silk screen industry for many years, and continued to grow his knowledge in the graphic design business by learning to build websites, wide format printing, vehicle graphics, and everything in between in the marketing world.
Rob & Mary launched their own graphic design business in 2013, R Digital Design.
In Rob's free time, he enjoys hiking, disc golf, and mountain biking.
2013
Our entrepreneurship journey began.
Husband & wife duo, Rob Lewis & Mary Big Bull-Lewis.
We spent the year prior preparing
to launch our first business, R Digital Design.
During the previous year, Mary began researching how to operate a small business, meeting with local SBA advisors to help me learn Quickbooks, filing proper documents to be a legit business and dove into the marketing role. Mary had gone back to school in 2010 and graduated from Wenatchee Valley College in 2011. She then utilized her degree to ensure our family was sustained as we jumped head first into running our first business.
2015

Inspired by the land.
The ideas flow, dreams are dreamt when we hike & backpack. Collectively discussed starting a clothing brand and wanted to create something unique that focused on their love for the outdoors. In the past, Rob has summited several mountains in Washington & Oregon State and together have enjoyed overnight backpacking trips and day hikes.
2016
This year was a major pivoting point for Mary. She began seeking connections that she had been searching for her entire life. This included counseling with a Native American woman in Omak. This woman took Mary under her wing and taught her culturally significant practices that included building a sweat lodge. After her first sweat, Mary felt she belonged and finally found what was missing in her life.
"When I speak of being home, after my first sweat, I speak from my healing. That it took me, well into my adulthood, to understand who I am and give myself permission to be authentic. We grow up trying to please the adult figures in our lives, to “fit in” and change ourselves based on colonized criteria. I never “fit” that mold and I knew that deep in my soul.
This first sweat connected me to my culture spiritually and that is something I sought my entire life. I didn’t find it by going to church every weekend, but I also didn’t know where to find this connection until I sought out culturally significant relationships for myself.
Ceremony focuses attention so that attention becomes intention. If you stand together and profess a thing before your community, it holds you accountable.
Ceremonies transcend the boundaries of the individual and resonate beyond human realm. These acts of reverence are powerfully pragmatic. These are ceremonies that magnify life.
In many Indigenous communities, the hems of our ceremonial robes have been unraveled by time and history, but the fabric remains strong. In the dominate society, though, ceremony seems to have withered away, I suppose there are many reasons for that: the frenetic pace of life, dissolution of community, the sense that ceremony is an artifact of organized religion forced upon participants rather than a celebration joyfully chosen.
The ceremonies that persist - birthdays, weddings, funerals - focus only on ourselves, marking rites of personal transition."
Mary hiking in the Enchantments.
Finding new relationships within the Indigenous community. Taking the time to research and try to understand her ancestors struggles and connection with the land. She made it her purpose to create positive change. Growing up in a colonized space meant disconnection from culture, and taking the valuable lessons she learned from being connected to allow herself to be what she has always been - Native American woman. Showing up authentically, learning from individuals who have set the groundwork. Mary realized that local Native American history was not taught during her schooling in Wenatchee and that her ancestors, p'squosa (Wenatchi) Tribe was thought to be extinct.
2018 - 2019
After years of seeking history books about local Native American tribes, Rob & Mary began discussing a clothing brand again. They wanted it to be unique in multiple ways - from the name, font, and purpose. It seemed fitting to name the original tribal spelling of Mary's ancestors - Wenatchi. The font is Mary's handwriting, all the designs are original sketches and digital art. Many started out with a pencil and paper sketch by Mary. They created the logo, keeping it simplistic and timeless. The goal was & still is to empower Indigenous Peoples through authentic threads & art. Designing with purpose to share local Native American history & stories. Mary met her uncle Randy Lewis at a social gathering where we were the only Natives there, they continue to collaborate to this day.
Mary learned how to build a e-commerce website and set a goal to launch Wenatchi Wear in April of 2019.
Wenatchi Wear art is a modern display of nature, legends, history, and fun!
2019

The 5 year goal for R Digital Design was to move to a commercial space. They chose to run low overhead & operate from their home for the first few years. Ironically, both the decision to launch a new business and expand the first business coincided.
R Digital Design was in need of a commercial shop that would not only have space for vinyl graphics but to continue to grow.
They launched Wenatchi Wear online and began venturing out to pop up events at local farmers markets and holiday markets.
Rob & Mary prepared the new-to-them shop space for R Digital Design & Wenatchi Wear by cleaning the floors, painting the floors & walls and adding new lighting.
They then moved all the equipment for R Digital Design and the handful of products for Wenatchi Wear.
Mary continued to research marketing strategies for clothing brands and reached out to local influencers to start representing Wenatchi Wear.
Local news editors reached out to write articles about the new venture and help create awareness. At this time, Mary was also looking at ways to give back to her community and began formulating a #landback nonprofit.
2020
The beginning of the pandemic when all social gatherings and businesses were closing left the two entrepreneurs adapting to another change. Being small business owners is tough - especially with a newly launched small business owners. Having the e-commerce website already operating was a huge help during this time, as the website allowed people to shop from home.
A local news station reached out to highlight Wenatchi Wear on a local TV station with a half hour interview. The news station interviewed Mary & her uncle Randy Lewis to discuss the Skookum image and share what Wenatchi Wear was about. This segment aired multiple times a day for a few months, which helped online sales. Thankfully both businesses never seemed to slow down, they temporarily closed the commercial space and moved the computers home to be able to continue to work.
The wildfires on the Colville Reservation in Washington State left many families without homes, clothes, food or a place to rest. Mary put out a call for help from our local community & opened their shop space up for collecting donations. They partnered with Indigenous lead organization to distribute the donations and several community members hauled loads of donation to the reservation, helped rebuild livestock fencing and more.
It became apparent a safe space for Indigenous Peoples was needed, as many families were sent to Wenatchee hotels with what they had on their backs. It was difficult to give donations at capacities many larger organizations were accustom to with the pandemic lock down and social distancing.
2021
This was a big year for the couple in their personal lives & professionally. Their son moved into his University dorm, making Rob & Mary empty nesters.
Pop events were slowly making their way back into Wenatchee, the current shop space was also used for their own pop up events and would allow customers to come shop. This was dependant on vehicle wrap schedules. The space was quickly outgrown and the couple had been searching for the "unicorn" space - one that both businesses could be in, with a long list of wants. When it seemed there was nothing in the area, a new building was built in the neighborhood Mary grew up in, South Wenatchee. The "unicorn" space did exist. Dedicated retail space for Wenatchi Wear, two big shop doors and space for large vehicles. It was a big step & commitment to move forward with, but it was the right decision. A ribbon cutting ceremony took place a month after moving in and the first holiday season was amazing!
Progress with the Indigenous lead nonprofit were moving along - Washington State publications reached out to interview and write articles about the progress - see our Publications page
More information is available on our Donate page or visit:
www.indigenousrrf.org to learn more about the Indigenous Roots & Reparation Foundation.
2022
One year in the new space and both businesses continue to thrive.
Wenatchi Wear is proud to create space for Native/Indigenous artists, small business owners in our new retail location.
This action of highlighting Indigenous artists is to bring awareness and focus importance of authentic art, as this strengthens our Indigenous community while steering consumers away from appropriated, unethical products.
New products and designs are produces weekly and added to the shop. There is a wide range of products in the shop, perfect gift ideas for everyone! Shop online or stop by the store, easy access to the parking lot directly off of S Mission Street.
2024
We learn & adapt. 2023 was a big year for us in many ways. We decided to retire the Wenatchi Wear brand. It was not an easy decision, but one that we contemplated for a while. We are thrilled with the impact this lil brand made in 4 short years.
We closed down our retail store and spent the first part of 2024 in an incubator phase. R Digital Design celebrated it's 11th business anniversary and continues to keep us busy.
Our goal was to relaunch the retail shop as the Evergreen Gift Shop. We will continue to carry authentic Native American art as well as opening up to local artisans. The Evergreen Gift Shop curates unique gifts for all!