Some History | Some Stylin' Indians | Christianne Morris (Micmac)

Christianne Morris (Micmac artist) was known for her exquisite work in the traditional Micmac arts, supporting her family by the sale of quillwork and basketry. Her needlework, quillwork, splint basketry, and even a full-sized canoe and paddles all won first prizes at various provincial exhibitions. She once sold two beaded costumes to Indian Commissioner William Chearnley for the impressive sum of $300.

In the image below, she wears an ensemble of garments and accessories that she made her self. The outfit consists of a beaded peaked hat, a jacket, a woollen skirt appliquéd with ribbon, and beaded moccasins. She stands with her adopted son, and it is likely that she created his outfit as well.

From the portraits and works of art that survive her, we can see that she was a beautiful and gifted Native woman. One of the region's most interesting people in the 19th century, Christianne Morris is remembered not only as a model for the Nova Scotia painters who portrayed her but also as a talented artist in her own right.

That Is One Mega-Cute Baby Bonnet

‎Pictured above is American fashion designer Tom Ford with the 2011 Santa Fe Indian Market Native American Clothing Contest Best of Show Winner and the First Place Contemporary Adult Female Winner (in Santa Fe at the annual August Indian Market event).

Ford said that he particularly was pleased with the recipient of the first-place award for Contemporary Female Adult, Naomi Bebo Maybee (Menominee/Hochunk), who wore a Japanese-Native American fusion kimono with ledger art applique, designed by her mother-in-law, Toni Williams. He was also pleased with 1-year-old Persephone Maybee, daughter of Naomi and artist Dallin Maybee (Arapaho/Seneca), who took Female Best in Show with a head-to-toe outfit created by her father. The little pink ensemble included a split horn baby bonnet and elk tooth dress with matching beadwork.

Some History | Some Stylin' Indians | Caroline Parker (Seneca)

I think I'm just really into old daguerreotype photographs right now, but these images are awesome. This is Caroline Parker (Seneca) in 1849 who, by the age of 19, was already recognized as a highly skilled artist. She is wearing an outfit that she created herself.

Her blue woolen broadcloth skirt is decorated with Iroquois symbols, and incorporates 'tree of light,' 'heaven and earth,' and 'council fire' motifs. These clothes became part of the Lewis Henry Morgan Collection at the New York State Museum in Albany. The skirt and red cotton overdress are still present in the Museum's collection where they remain a source of continued inspiration to those wanting to replicate traditional Seneca clothing.

Some History | Some Stylin' Indians | Hole-In-The-Day (Ojibwe)

I have a slight obsession with this guy - his name is Hole-In-The-Day (or Bug-o-nay-ki-shig), and he was an Ojibwe leader during an important time when his community was negotiating the imposed Euro-American culture with that of their own.

His father was also named Hole-In-The-Day, and the younger succeeded him as chief of the community.

He is oftentimes described as a handsome man with polished manners, and he mingled easily in white society during his many trips to Washington, D.C., and St. Paul. He dressed in fashionable European-style clothes, but he always kept his hair long and continued to wear a blanket draped across one shoulder. Euro-American fashion was simplistic in the 1800s, and individuals like Hole-In-The-Day made it visually more exciting with the inclusion of Ojibwe accessories and items of adornment. He also continued to wear Ojibwe-style moccasins.

He was popular with both men and women, and he was a accomplished public speaker. Reverend Claude H. Beaulieu says of him:

"Hole-in-the-Day was a man of distinguished appearance and native courtliness of manner. His voice was musical and magnetic, and with these qualities he had a subtle brain, a logical mind, and quite a remarkable gift of oratory. In speech he was not impassioned, but clear and convincing, and held fast the attention of his hearers."

Soon white men in both the nation's capital and the territorial capital began to look upon him as a spokesman for all his people.

Some History | Miss Navajo Nation

It's Navajo Nation Fair time! And the folks over at Indian Country Today posted a cool article on the annual event.

The Navajo Nation Fair draws about 15,000 visitors a day to Window Rock, Arizona, the Capitol of the Navajo Nation. The week-long fair kicks off on the Monday after Labor day, September 5. It is the largest American Indian Fair and Rodeo in the Southwestern United States, and consists of over two dozen events that extend over the seven day period.

With a rodeo, arts market, Miss Navajo competition, powwow, parade, and a fashion show, I'm sad that I'm going to be missing the Fair again this year.

I decided to do a post on the Miss Navajo Nation competition because, in addition to demonstrating their skills as supremo Navajo chicks, these young ladies get to rock some awesome tradish fashion. To learn more about the Miss Navajo competition, I highly recommend that you check out the documentary film, Miss Navajo (see the trailer below). It offers an insider's glimpse into this important event, which consists of criteria that you don't get to see in your typical beauty competition, and the contestants are judged on their cultural knowledge and Navajo language skills.

For more than 50 years, the Miss Navajo Nation beauty pageant has given its contestants opportunities to showcase not only their beauty but also their skills in dance, music and sheep slaughtering. Following contestants in their quest for the crown, and featuring personal stories of recent winners, Miss Navajo is a celebration of womanhood.

The first ever Miss Navajo was Dr. Beulah Melvin Allen, who was 23 when she was crowned. She went on to become a doctor. Very badass, Dr. Allen!

The second Miss Navajo was Ida Gail Organick, who reigned from 1953 to 1954. Lookin good among those canyons Miss Ida Gail!

Miss Navajo, 1963-64, Anna Mae Begay Fowler was the first to rock the Miss Navajo crown. When Fowler competed, there were two categories - modern and traditional - and Fowler competed in both. In the traditional category, she had to demonstrate her skills in weaving and singing. For the modern competition, her skills included typing, sewing and public speaking.

This jazzy lady is Rose Ann Bekis Kenneth, who reigned as Miss Navajo from 1969 to 1970.

About her time as Miss Navajo 1979-80, Freda Nells said, "I have benefited enormously from the reigning as the ambassador of one of the largest Native American Indian people. The experience has showed me confidence, independence, ambition, respect, and set a goal for my future. With that in mind I continued my education."

Sunny Dooley, Miss Navajo 1982-83, is a storyteller, poet, playwright, workshop facilitator, lecturer and Navajo folksinger. Multi-talented!

About the importance of basketry, Karen Leuppe, Miss Navajo Nation 1994-95 (aka Miss Awesome Hair), said, “The center of the basket represents the existence of a child and the spiral extending outward from the center represents the learning environment provided at home and in the community. The coils and stitches binding them together remind us that everything in the environment is connected and ensures the child is living in harmony and peace with family and nature.”

The 46th Miss Navajo was Radmilla Cody. She says, "My grandmother raised me herding sheep, weaving rugs, and speaking the Navajo language being that was our source of communication. I dealt with a lot growing up half black and half Navajo."

Her goals during her reign included working closely with youth, parents and elders. "The youth because they are the perserverance of who we are as Dine' people. The parents because they are the role models and communicators within the home. The elders because they are valuable resources and the roots of our people." She also advocated for community programs that dealt with issues such as Child Abuse/Neglect, Elderly Abuse/Neglect, Domestic Violence, Gang Activity, Natural Resources and Alcoholism/Substance Abuse.

Another doctor, Karletta 'Daane' Chief was Miss Navajo 2000-2001. Chief said, "As my grandmother and my family have encouraged me and have been my role models, I hope that I can give back to my people in the same way, to be a role model to young Navajo children, and to preserve our language, our culture, and our land."

Last year's winner was Winifred Bessie Jumbo from Two Grey Hills, NM. Jumbo will pass on the crown this week to a new Miss Navajo Nation, and continue the legacy of encouraging and celebrating the strength and importance of women as cultural bearers and cultural bridges.

Click here to read more about the Miss Navajo competition and history.

Virgil Ortiz Scarves

Click here for the latest from Virgil Ortiz.

Pilar Agoyo Shirts

Check out the shirt designs that Pilar Agoyo debuted at the Heard Indian Market this past spring:

Penny Singer Shirt

(Shirt by Penny Singer, photo by Andrea Martinez, graphics by Wolfn Photographies, golden mature eagle by Blue Mountain Wildlife, model Martin Sensmeier, location Tamatslikt Museum in mission Oregon.)

Some History | Metis Textiles

I came across this article on the University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History about Metis Textiles :


French and Scottish fur traders arrived at Hudson’s Bay in the 17th century, trapping across the drainage basin of the bay and beyond. Some settled and married Native women. Their descendants came to be known as the Métis. Drawing from Native and European ancestry, the Métis became intermediaries between traders and Native peoples and created a distinct culture of their own. While the Métis maintained separate communities in the south, in the north they remained primarily a part of the respective Native societies.

Mission schools, founded to teach Christianity to Native peoples and children of Europeans, also taught domestic arts of sewing and embroidery in the European tradition. European-style clothing was encouraged and quickly became part of the Métis wardrobe, however Métis preferred tanned hide to woven cloth, adorning clothing with intricate beadwork and/or embroidery. European embroidery techniques were quickly adapted to work with traditional Native motifs. Métis beadwork was highly prized, and the Métis were, in fact, called the “flower beadwork people.” This was a part of their blended culture.

The black velvet beaded pouches and buckskin jacket show the intricate designs favored by Métis beaders and illustrate their skill and artistry. Floral motifs have an almost three-dimensional quality and often exhibit symmetrical designs of great intricacy. Each bead is sewn in place using a two-thread, couching technique. Women who specialized in beadwork were highly respected and their work was of great value and sought after by the local community and collectors. Most of the glass beads originally come from Bohemia or Italy, where traditional beadmakers specialized in creating specific colors, according to secret recipes. Often recipes were not passed on, and the color was lost forever.

Collected by Samuel Washburn between 1897 and 1905, and donated to the Museum of Natural and Cultural History by his niece Jessie B. Sterne, in 1959, these objects came from the Mackenzie and Hay River region of northwestern Canada, traditional territory of the Athabaskan Dene people. Photography by Chris White, text by Beverly Fernandes, and web development by Keith Hamm. Images © UO Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

Star Dress by Danita Strawberry

Last fall, Cree and Saulteaux designer Danita Strawberry made this gown for Ashley Callingbull to be worn in the parade of nations at the Miss Friendship International pageant. The dress was inspired by star quilt designs.

In her article, "Morning Star Quilts," Tana Mundwiler writes, "For ages the star has been depicted in the Plains Indians' hide paintings, porcupine-quilled moccasins, leggings and clothing." Strawberry's dress brings the ancient star reference (and late-1800s star quilt design) into glamorous present-day couture.

Recently, the Alberta Museum selected Danita Strawberry as a featured Native artist, and they ordered a red version. Here's the dress she produced that will be on display at the Museum:

‘The Raven Takes the World’

I love when I come across random snapshots of Native fashion in books. Here's a picture and schpeel of Dorothy Grant's Haida wedding dress called 'The Raven Takes the World,' found in Totems to Turquoise:

The dress is made of white deer hide and silkscreened with a Haida design. Raven, the Transformer, is depicted holding the four corners of the earth with his human hands. The dress was made in honor of Grant’s mother. The edging of the bodice is beaded with mother-of-pearl beads and glass trade beads, and the three-tiered body has hand-cut fringe.

The dentalium headdress, by Marianne Jones (Haida), was commissioned by Grant in 1994 to match the wedding dress. It was inspired by the headdresses worn by Salish tribes.

Navajo Fashion Designers in WOTN Online Mag

WOTN - The Online Magazine recently launched their latest issue. In it, they interview four Navajo fashion designers: Shane Watson, Felix Earle, Darylene Martin, and Dwayne Clauschee, who share their inside perspectives on the industry.

Click here to access the 2011 Spring Edition of WOTN.

Art and Identity Custom Shoe Workshop

Louie Gong, a nationally-recognized artist and mixed-heritage advocate, not only heads up the Eighth Generation custom shoe business, but also spends his time working with youth in tribal communities doing various speaking engagements and workshops.

Gong recently held a Custom Shoe Workshop called Art and Identity, which was hosted at the Salt Lake City Indian Walk-In Center held at the end of March.

This workshop uses the process of creating a custom shoe as a platform for exploring personal identity. It includes technical guidance and one-on-one support for students as they create their own shoe design and execute the design on a canvas shoe. You can read more about this workshop by clicking here.

In 2009 and 2010, Eighth Generation donated or gifted more art than it sold.

See more pics at the Custom Coast Salish / Northwest Coast style shoes by Louie Gong Facebook page or at the Eighth Generation website.

Video | From Culture to Couture Fashion Show

This video was shot during the 'From Culture to Couture' gala fashion show in Toronto.

Hosted by celebrated Native actors Adam Beach and Jennifer Podemski, the fashion gala featured work by preeminent Canadian designers Dorothy Grant, D’Arcy Moses, Angela DeMontigny, Pam Baker and Dene Fur Clouds, along with special guest designer Patricia Michaels from New Mexico. The gala event was held during the 2005 Toronto Aboriginal Festival.

The video has some great footage of the fashion designs on the runway as well as interesting interviews with the designers themselves:

Haida Designer Dorothy Grant Closes Shop

Haida Artist Dorothy Grant Closes Shop
By Karen Gram, Vancouver Sun, March 29, 2011

After 22 years of creating exquisite Haida inspired couture, Dorothy Grant is hanging up her scissors and turning off her light table, sort of.

Like others in the fashion industry Grant was hurt by the economic collapse three years ago. Many designers have since closed or adapted. Grant has decided to adapt. Rather than create a full line, she will limit her designs to more affordable accessories such as scarves and bags. She also hopes to teach business to first nations students.

“Just like Raven the Transformer, I am transforming my business and future,” she says in her announcement.

Grant, a Kaigani Haida of the Raven Clan, was a pioneer in the fashion industry taking the motifs from her Haida heritage and applying them to elegantly designed clothing. Like Bill Reid before her, she became an ambassador for First nations. Former prime minister Kim Campbell bought a Dorothy Grant cape which became the backdrop for Campbell’s official portrait. Former governor general Michaëlle Jean also owns a piece as do many Hollywood and Vancouver celebrities.

Grant will still sell her accessories at major native art markets in Canada and the U.S and on her website. Many items from her collections are on sale now at her studio until April 26. The West 6th Ave. studio will close at the end of April.

“Over the past 22 years I’ve been so fortunate to have thousands of clients who are proud to wear my garments,” she says. “They have inspired and encouraged me and for that I am grateful.

“This year will be about staying connected to the creative spirit within me and staying connected to ‘Raven Transformation.’ Thank you all, kindly.”

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Read original here.

Heard Indian Market 2011 - Penny Singer

Navajo fashion designer Penny Singer was in her usual booth space this year at the Heard Indian Market, and I had a couple minutes to catch up with her. She had a picture of one of her clients wearing a Penny Singer jacket to a dinner with President Obama. That's pretty badass. Another one of her clients was in the booth and remarked that she had seen the tv broadcast of the event, and saw the jacket and knew it was a Penny Singer. Double badass.


(Penny Singer, hold two pictures of one of her clients wearing an original Penny Singer jacket to an Obama event)





Penny Singer will also be at the Native Treasures show held annually in Santa Fe

Heard Indian Market 2011 - Pilar Agoyo

It's always fun to see what Pilar Agoyo has been up to with her fashion designs. Since she also works as a costume designer for films, her clothing designs bring a welcomed edginess to the Indian Market scene.

Agoyo also took home an Honorable Mention award for her coat, 'Whisper,' pictured above.

She brought some new shirts and some new purse designs this year (see below) - but I was super excited to see a black coat trimmed with lime green fur (it was still a work in progress - but it already looks badass).