PENDLETON — When the Two Cultures, One Community (TCOC) Powwow comes to the Pendleton Convention Center Feb. 27 to March 1, local vendors will take center stage alongside sellers from across the nation. 

More than three dozen vendors from seven states will set up shop in two large rooms on either side of the dance floor, offering Indigenous and Western arts and crafts. Another eight food vendors will be stationed outside in the convention center parking lot.

Oregon leads the way with 16 vendors, including 10 from Pendleton, Echo, Adams and Athena. Local booths will feature work by Native artists Ellen Taylor, Ella Mae Looney and Nizhoni Toledo, known for their bold, colorful artwork. Shoppers can also find a Pendleton saddle maker, an Echo vendor selling turquoise and an Adams-based botanical seller. The Atina Club from Weston-McEwen High School will also be on hand.

Washington brings the second-largest group of vendors, many from the Yakima and Toppenish area, along with sellers from Olympia, Seattle and Spokane. Whitman College in Walla Walla will sell Pasxapa Powwow T-shirts and sweatshirts to support Native student activities.

Additional vendors will also travel from Arizona, Idaho, Utah, North Dakota, and Montana. From Montana, Dougie Hall of Browning, owner of Good Medicine Bucking Horses, LLC and a cast member of the Netflix series Landman, will be selling merchandise.

Coming the farthest is Hustle Tribe of Minnesota, returning to Pendleton for the third time with its popular urban-Indigenous hats and clothing.

Meet the Artists

Nizhonia’s Artistry

At just 21 years old, Toledo creates work that she describes as “born from the stories passed down by my ancestors, the colors of the land that raised me, and the traditions that shape who I am.”

An enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Toledo said art has been a powerful outlet and constant companion throughout her life.

“Art is my way of keeping our culture alive — of telling truths that words sometimes cannot, and of offering healing and hope,” she said. “It’s my purpose, my passion, and my offering to the world.”

Her work draws deeply from culture, community and family.

“These connections are not only my inspiration—they are the heart of everything I create,” she said. “I honor the traditions and stories that have shaped me while carving space for contemporary Indigenous expression.”

Toldeo designed the logo for the 82nd annual National Congress of American Indians Convention and Marketplace. She said design reflects the message: “We are sovereign. We are resilient. We are culture in motion.”

ERL Studios

Ella Mae Looney, a member of the Yakama Nation, creates art that reflects Indigenous identity, cultural teachings, and lived experience. Her work spans painting, sewing, beadwork and digital art, honoring traditional values while embracing modern Indigenous expression.

Looney began her creative journey in high school, when art became both therapy and a way to express her experiences growing up on an Indian reservation. She taught herself by making her own traditional regalia so she could dance, later expanding into beadwork and painting. Each piece tells a story deeply connected to her culture and life.

She shares her knowledge through workshops on beaded keychains, moccasins, graduation caps, wing dresses, and acrylic painting.

“My goal is to continue passing my gifts on,” Looney said. “Uplifting others and celebrating the creativity that has always lived within Indigenous people.”

Old Meacham Creek Designs

Cassandra Franklin is the creative force behind Old Meacham Creek Designs, a business offering artwork and jewelry that “honor Indigenous identity and storytelling.”

Operating from her family home in Gibbon, Oregon, Cassandra describes her work as “neo-traditional Indigenous jewelry design and creation.”

Inspired by colors, patterns and designs from her childhood along Meacham Creek on the Umatilla Indian Reservation (UIR), each of her handmade pieces is one-of-a-kind.

“No two pieces are identical, so each one you buy will be an original,” she said. “Some antique beads and buttons from my grandmother make it into my work to honor her memory and her encouragement to create.”

Base of the Blues Leather and Beadwork

Alice Johnson, an enrolled member of the Warm Springs Nation of Oregon, grew up on the UIR.

In her youth, she rode horses, traveled to powwows, and learned beadwork and weaving. In 2024, she taught herself leatherworking, saying: “I don’t know how, but I am thankful it came easy.”

What began with making leather belts for herself and her sons has grown into a thriving creative venture. Today, Alice crafts hats, keychains, bracelets, earrings, medallions, breastplates, and belts, blending beadwork and leather artistry.

Waterlilly Botanicals LLC

Adrienne Sampson is the founder and manager of Waterlilly Botanicals LLC, a female- and Indigenous-owned business operating on the UIR.

Her handcrafted skin products — made with sustainable, organic ingredients — include body butters, balms, ointments, rubs, and essential oil rollers, all designed to create the “purest herbal” experience.

With nearly 20 years of experience studying herbs and essential oils, Sampson was inspired to “offer safe alternatives” after learning about the toxins commonly found in cosmetics.

In business for more than five years, Waterlilly Botanicals aims to “improve mind, body, and spirit.” The brand appears at the Pendleton Farmers Market from spring through fall and offers custom products in select Pendleton stores.

Sampson shares updates on Instagram and Facebook and noted that a new and improved website will be launching soon.