Meet Our Owner

J. Nathan Rainy Chief, Owner and Executive Director

J. Nathan Rainy Chief is a member of Kainai First Nation in Southern Alberta, one of four tribes of the Blackfoot Confederacy. As a descendant of Rainy Chief (and Chief Red Crow), the senior chiefs of Kainai First Nation when Treaty 7 was created, he is connected uniquely to one of the most important events in Blackfoot history. When he was born, he was held by his Great-Great Grandmother, Rosie Davis, who was born in 1877 in Montana. She was the longest living member of the tribe. She was a world-renowned beadwork artist and traditionalist, who still has pieces in museums across the US and Canada.

He is also a descendant of Chief Charlie Davis, and several other chiefs.

Nathan comes from a long family history of Trading Post owners and influential Albertans such as D.W. Davis, and John J. Healy who collectively ran Fort Whoop Up trading post, and Fort Macleod trading post, as well as IG Baker and Co in Montana and Southern Alberta.

Nathan has been honored with the 2023 Indigenous Business Builder Series award by Aboriginal Community Futures in Calgary, Alberta. This prestigious recognition is bestowed upon prominent business leaders in the Southern Alberta region.

Since taking ownership of 49 Design, Nathan has driven the company’s expansion into the international market and earned a feature in the Wall Street Journal. His journey, marked by resilience as a former Residential Day School attendee. In 2020, 49 Dzine launched its 1st physical storefront in Calgary, after building successful online eCommerce business for 3 years. This expansion continued with the opening of a second storefront in Edmonton in 2021, further solidifying 49 Dzine presence in the retail sector.

In 2023, the Calgary 49 Dzine location underwent a transformation into the Rainy Chief Trading Post, continuing the legacy of a 5th generation Trading Post enterprise in Southern Alberta and marking a new chapter in the brand’s history.