WLM Fall & Holiday 2017 | Page 25

REPUBLIC WLM | art By June Johnston Images courtesy White Buffalo Republic a Way of Life of [our products] is to take people that have all these skills and get them access to the world market,” James says. “A lot of these guys were saddle makers, leather workers. [T]hey are losing their occupations, like we have in the U.S., to cheaply made products from China. It’s kinda put those folks out of business. [W]hat we’ve done is tried to preserve their way of life, along with instilling within them the idea of putting a lot of pride in your work and understanding that when they make something it might end up in the US or Germany, Norway, Japan, etc. “I think they now have a lot of pride in seeing where their handiwork goes,” James adds, “and are learning