Artist Profile | Precise' and Monā Lossie

One of my favorite events of the year is the annual Gathering of Nations Powwow held in Albuquerque at the end of April. I like it because, well, it's a powwow (and who doesn't like a powwow!?), but also because of the Indian Trader's Market.

Aside from the cheesy name, the market is a great place for me to scout new talented artists to promote and add to the Beyond Buckskin Boutique. Beadwork artists, in particular, are in abundance (seriously!), and I just love beadwork!

BB Facebook | Best of May

I post a lot of fashion news on the Beyond Buckskin Facebook Fan Page. It's a great way to share info quickly without having to write an entire post on it.

Every month I compile these tidbits into a 'Best of' post where I highlight some of the coolest images, the most interesting articles, and the biggest misappropriators that were posted to BB's Facebook page. Click below to check out the Best of May.

Video | Powwow Trail

The Ways is a new website that features stories from Native communities of the Great Lakes region. This site is an incredible online educational resource that features videos, interactive maps, and digital media that helps viewers and readers explore contemporary Native culture and language.

'Powwow Trail' is one of the four stories they currently have available on the site. In this beautifully shot video, Dylan Jennings shares a weekend of singing with Midnite Express and dancing at the Oneida Powwow.

BB Facebook | Best of November

I post a lot of fashion news on the Beyond Buckskin Facebook Fan Page. It's a great way to share info quickly without having to prep and write an entire post on it. I also recently started a 'Best of' post for each month where I highlight some of the coolest images, the most interesting articles, the biggest misappropriators, and the neatest videos that were posted to the Beyond Buckskin Facebook page.

So, now that we are WAY into December, it's safe to look back at November and pick out the best (and worst), so, fashionistas, here you go:

Post-Manito Ahbee

Ah! Hello everyone!!

Things are finally settling down for a hot second (before they pick back up again for the Michigan event) and I wanted to tell you a little bit about this past weekend at Manito Ahbee!

First off, two of the Beyond Buckskin Boutique artists flew into North Dakota and they camped at the Metcalfe compound in Gardena North Dakota for a couple of days before we dashed past the North 40 up to Canada.

Video | Native American Powwow Regalia

In Utah, they are celebrating their 24th of July Pioneer Day events, which includes a powwow. Check out Native powwow regalia in this news clip. Damon Polk explains the importance and symbolism behind these costumes.

Note to the blonde interviewer - we do not call these outfits "Costumes."



Click here to see the original post.

Video | Powwow Gear

Here’s a cool commercial for the 2010 Tulsa Pow Wow produced by Ryan Red Corn, Sterlin Harjo and the other whizzes at Buffalo Nickel Creative. The music is the Tulsa Powwow Song, recorded at the 2008 Tulsa Powwow. It was originally composed by James Asa Anquoe and given to the Tulsa Indian Club in 1953. I appreciate this video because it shows dancers getting ready, putting on their gear. Oftentimes we see them dancing or striking a pose, but here we get to see the prep. And that's cool, for sure.

GON12 | Sharmayne Edgewater Finale

Clothing designed by Navajo fashion designer Sharmayne Edgewater at the Central Visionaries fashion show held during the annual Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, NM, April 2012.

GON12 | Disa Tootoosis Finale

Clothing designed by Cree fashion designer Disa Tootoosis at the Central Visionaries fashion show held during the annual Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, NM, April 2012.

GON12 | Disa Tootoosis Dress

Dress designed by Cree fashion designer Disa Tootoosis, worn by a model during the Central Visionaries fashion show held during the Gathering of Nations powwow in Albuquerque. Stay tuned... more videos will be uploaded, just as soon as I figure out how to do it! (yay video!)

Fashion in Native Peoples Magazine

Check out the latest issue of Native Peoples Magazine to view a six-page spread on fourteen Native American fashion designers.

The article, Indigenous Fashion Blooms, features designers who don't usually get the spotlight in Native Peoples. In the past, they've covered Native fashion stars Virgil Ortiz, Penny Singer, Patricia Michaels, and Dorothy Grant. In this issue, they branch out to look at other clothing artists - some from First Nations communities, some create powwow fashion, and five of the fourteen hail from the Navajo Nation.

Some of the designers featured in this spread include Tracy Toulouse, Kim Picard, Bruno Henry, and Sho Sho Esquiro.

10 Favorite Native Websites and Blogs

Dear readers,

I have a request - I need to come up with a list of our Ten Favorite Native American Websites and Blogs for an article that I'm writing for Native Peoples Magazine (for their special SWAIA Indian Market issue) and I would love your input.

Which Native-focused websites and blogs do you visit often for information about Native cultures, arts, and contemporary representations, and discussions on current issues/news?

Bead Artist Profile | Terra Houska

Last month, I spotlighted a bunch of Etsy artists and shop-owners as part of a 'Holiday Shopping Guide' to promote the idea of 'buying local' and 'buying Native.' To continue this idea beyond just the holidays, I'm going to be doing designer profiles on Native Etsy artists in the coming months.

The second Etsy artist of 2012 is Terra Houska, the brains and creative hands behind Maka/Earth/Terra Lakota Creations. She is Oglala Lakota, and was born and raised in the Black Hills of South Dakota. A traditional powwow dancer, Houska started beading in college with her beading club, she says, just to learn how to do something different.

Designer Profile | Faith Charlo

I was first drawn to the cool Mohawk hats and baby buntings made by Faith Charlo when I was putting together the Etsy Holiday Gift Guide at the end of last November. The fun kiddie gear is sold through her small business, Powwow Baby. Charlo is Wampanoag, from Massachusetts, but she grew up on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. She shared with me a bit more about the story and inspiration behind her work.

When and why did you start making clothing?
I have loved art and sewing since I was a child. My dad was an artist and an art teacher while I was growing up, and my mom used to make clothes for my siblings and I when I was real young, so I have creativity in my genes from both sides of my family.

Top 11 in Native Fashion for 2011

Well, I don't like when bad people who do bad things get all the attention, so now here is another list: The Top 11 Cool Things That Happened in Native Fashion in 2011.

1. Beyond Buckskin Expands: Not only did this blog site get a major make-over (thanks to Silver Jackson), now you can keep up with Beyond Buckskin and the Native fashion scene on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Etsy. Whew.

2. Native Designers in the Press: Journalists and writers were lovin Native fashion designers this year: Navajo designers were featured in WOTN Online Mag, the Canadian press fell in love with Manitoba Mukluks, Swagg Mag and other street sites promo'd Sho Sho Esquiro's threads, powwow fashionista Jhane Myers was featured on KASA Tv, Orlando Dugi was spotlighted on Phoenix's Good Morning Arizona, Dorothy Grant's shop closing was discussed as a sign of the economic times, and Louie Gong and his kickass shoes showed up in video docs and magazines.

Video | Jhane Myers Talks Powwow

Jhane Myers Noisecat, Matriarch of the Noisecat family, who will be participating dancers in the 2011 Gathering of the Nations Pow Wow this weekend, joins Nikki from KASA.com to talk about her heritage and family, and the 2011 Gathering of Nations Powwow. Her daughters Wakeah, Peshawn and son Fuji share their talent with a dance to the beat of a drum played by Roger DeWayne Tofpi, of both Kiowa and Ute Heritage.

Random Inspiration from Powwows.com

Somehow I got on the listserv for powwows.com - and normally I don't much care for mass emails, but this one was full of gems.

First, they tell me about Attaching Metal Cones. It's a cool little article that has nothing to do with what I do on a daily basis, but it was interesting. It made me want to go out and attached some cones to something.

Shoes | Powwow Love Drama

"Powwow Love Drama"
Experimental Ledger art custom shoes by Orlando Obie Begay

He Sapa Style Show 2011

South Dakota doesn't celebrate Columbus Day - instead, they celebrate Native American Day. While the rest of the country commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus and his three ships (which didn't even make it to America, btw), people in South Dakota honor the Indigenous peoples who were here long before Columbus.

The Black Hills Powwow, or He Sapa Wacipi as it is known in the Lakota language, is one of the biggest celebrations, coinciding each year with the weekend before Native American Day.

Jamie Okuma Beaded Shoes

(Beaded Shoes by Jamie Okuma, Shoshone/Luiseno, at the 2011 SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market. Photo by Amber-Dawn Bear Robe)

My friend Amber-Dawn Bear Robe spotted these awesome shoes at the Santa Fe Indian Market last weekend. They are made by Jamie Okuma, who is of Shosone-Banock and Luiseno heritage.