My English name is Elexia Saari, My Ojibwe name is Nazhike Awaasang, most call me Lexi or Lex.

I grew up on the shores of Lake Superior on the Red Cliff reservation in Red Cliff, Wisconsin. I wanted more options when it came to Native American designed products, so I began designing the things that I wanted to see.

When I was growing up, sometimes I felt out of place because I was too “Suburban” for the Native kids, and too “Rezzy” for others.. I always felt that fashion was a way to express myself, and I wanted to wear apparel that could help me feel proud of my Native American roots. I decided to design products that could help myself as well as others represent their Native American spirit, and so Native Impact Co was created.

I am a self-taught graphic designer, but also an artist of many trades. I’ve been a beadwork and mixed-medium artist since I was a little girl. My nookomis (grandmother) taught me what she knew. After she passed away, it has been my passion to create art, clothing, and accessories to express my Ojibwe culture and to honor her.

Native Impact Company: founded to preserve the memory of Katharine Grace Basina; a Red Cliff Ojibwe beader, leatherworker, mother, grandmother, and so much more.