‘Made in Diné Bikéyah’: Winston Paul featured in GoDaddy’s holiday gift guide

ALBUQUERQUE – This year’s GoDaddy gift guide features a Diné asdzáá-owned business replacing “Made in …” fast fashion tags with “Made in Dine Bikéyah.”

GoDaddy is a website and domain host company that has led small businesses to grow their online presence.

Calandra Etsitty owns Winston Paul, a handmade clothing and makeup bag business that recently opened a shop at the Ch’ihootso Indian Market Place in Window Rock.

Etsitty is from Many Farms, Arizona. She is Bįįh Dine’é Táchii’nii and born for Tódích’íi’nii. Her maternal grandfather is Tótsohnii, and her paternal grandfather is Naakaii Dine’é.

Etsitty’s popular handmade makeup bags and skirts range from character prints to popular Southwest jewelry prints, and by being a part of the gift guide, she said her market expands beyond Native American people.

Winston and Paul

The company’s gift guide lists small businesses from their very own users.

One user brings authentic Native American-made products to the guide for proper representation of Native culture and aesthetics.

Between fifth and eighth grade, Calandra Etsitty dreamt up the idea of sewing things like skirts to sell one day because she had grown up watching her mother sew.

“She was just amazing,” said Etsitty. “I feel like that was every Navajo mom like they’re always making their skirts, they’re always making blouses. And my mom was cool. She didn’t just make contemporary clothes. She also made prom dresses.”

At a young age, Etsitty knew what her business would be called and what she would sell because of her family.

Winston Paul is a combination of the name of her younger brother, Winston, and her late grandfather, Paul.

“It’s something I knew I always wanted to do, create simple, classy, timeless pieces,” said Etsitty.

Once in school to earn a degree in her desired career, hardships – which she did not want to talk about – ensued, and Etsitty left school to continue her focus on her business.

Etsitty launched her company in San Antonio, Texas, but soon realized her clientele was in the Navajo Nation. So, she moved home to Many Farms and started her venture in 2017.

“It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come from our little ch’ízhii days in middle school,” said Etsitty.

While it’s inspiring to see a Diné asdzáá be featured on a large platform to sell her products, it also creates space for authentic Native-American-made products, said Etsitty.

Etsitty has seen the representation from other Native American designers and knows it’s out there. Still, for Navajo representation, she said she wants to show that Navajos represent more than a traumatic history.

Etsitty wants the Navajo youth to see the many different career paths people can take, such as sewing or storytelling, especially if they’re rooted in culture but not exploiting it.

“Not exposing the sacred part of it, so like keeping what’s sacred, sacred, but also sharing what we are allowed to share,” said Etsitty.

Unique stories

Amy Jennette, the senior director of marketing for GoDaddy, said the unique stories behind each of the small businesses in the gift guide, like Calandra Etsitty’s, are stories they want to help spread.

From her favorite, a white tribal print square makeup bag, to the idea of tying culture into the business, Jennette knew that Etsitty needed to be a part of the gift guide.

“Our mission is really to empower everyday entrepreneurs,” said Jennette.

In previous years, employees of GoDaddy used their internal gift guides because they believed in small businesses.

Along with providing a platform to build websites, Jennette said GoDaddy tries to guide up-and-coming businesses and give them resources to grow.

Jennette believes small businesses are the backbone of society, and GoDaddy must spotlight those people before the holiday gift-giving season.

For the upcoming year, Jennette said the company is planning to continue its inclusivity of Native American voices because it believes that it’s an important story.

Etsitty’s mother, her primary influence, learned to sew during her boarding school days, and that continues to live on through Etsitty.

Every day is different for Etsitty: orders can be jam-packed, and she has to package and send everything off, but if she gets a creative kick, she stops to release it.

Etsitty is blessed as she gets to prepare to open her store each day and knows she and other Native American entrepreneurs are on the rise.

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