Joey Montoya discovered his entrepreneurial instincts at a young age. Growing up in San Francisco 一 the youngest of seven in a family of artists 一 he would buy gum and candy at a nearby corner store to sell in his mother’s office. Later, when he enrolled at San Jose State University in 2012, he was unsure of what to study, but his business instincts drove him to found his own brand, Urban Native Era, during his freshman year. Today, UNE uses design, film and photography to spread awareness about indigenous issues and give native people a chance to represent themselves in modern society.
On Nov. 26, Montoya took to the podium in the Erb Memorial Union Ballroom to speak about his journey throughout college and starting a business, sharing the principles that bolstered his success. He was invited by the University of Oregon’s BE Series, a program that brings inspirational speakers to campus to support students as they explore their identities.
When Montoya launched UNE in 2012, he didn’t know anything about business apart from his childhood candy trade. His goal was “just to spread awareness about indigenous issues through media.” The next year, he expanded with apparel. The website now sells t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats with typography reading “stay native” and “you are on native land.” In the future, he aims to incorporate more film and design projects into UNE’s work, as well as starting a podcast.
Montoya spent much of his speaking time outlining the principles underlying his successes. One is developing an ultimate goal that guides his day-to-day choices. When a friend first asked Montoya what his ultimate goal in life was, he didn’t have an answer. The conversation prompted him to reflect on his mission and eventually he realized his end goal was to make sure everyone is taken care of 一 from his family and friends to his community and nation. “Once I developed my ultimate goal I was able to look at the work I’m currently doing and see if it aligns,” Montoya said. He claimed that clarifying intention helps people decide where to invest their time.
Montoya also emphasized time management. Another friend regularly insisted “you do have time, you just make time,” reminding Montoya that “our words and the way we phrase them have an impact on our ability to prioritize what is most important.” He advised the audience to “reflect on how you’re spending your time and what type of person you want to be. In order to be that person you want to be, you need to make room in your life for your priorities.”
Moving forward, UNE will continue filming and fundraising for their documentary, The Last National Park. This film will offer a native perspective on National Parks and public lands and the impact of returning to their indigenous names. According to Montoya, the company’s core goal 一 to spread awareness about native issues 一 will remain constant, but the methods for doing so evolve over time.
Montoya’s art uses images and typography to reflect this mission. His exhibit “Protect the Sacred” is currently being displayed in the Aperture Gallery of the Erb Memorial Union. The collection consists of six brightly colored prints portraying indigenous issues. One depicts a child inside a raindrop beneath the words “Mni Wiconi,” the Lakota word for water which directly translates to “it gives me life.” Another represents missing and murdered native women through female figures lined up beneath an eagle losing feathers. The exhibit will be up through Dec. 13.
