Small businesses in rural and tribal communities often lack access to affordable credit—especially during health or economic crises—putting their survival at risk. Resilience and credit from the nonprofit lender RCAC helped Native American-owned Earth & Sky Floral Designs get back to business after a health setback.

Earth & Sky Floral Designs and Gallery, LLC is a 100% Native American woman-owned business located on the Pueblo of Laguna reservation. Owned by Shayai Lucero of the Acoma and Laguna Pueblos, the business provides full-service floral arrangements for weddings, funerals, birthdays, holidays and local ceremonies. Shayai operates the shop from a renovated lodge on her property and employs seasonal part-time help during peak times like Mother’s Day and graduations. 

In 2023, Shayai faced a series of severe health setbacks—including a COVID-19 infection, complications and hospitalization—that forced her to close the business for seven weeks. Without incoming revenue and facing more than $49,000 in medical bills, the future of Earth & Sky Floral Designs was in jeopardy. But it quickly became clear the shop played a vital role in the life of the community. Shayai’s customers rallied behind her, affirming that the business was essential—not just as a service provider, but as a trusted part of local traditions.