Go Native 2014: Redux

Last January, I challenged our readers to rethink and reimagine what it means to ‘go Native.’ What if 'going Native' meant supporting Native American artists and designers? I wondered, “What if it meant wearing something special and unique – something made by a kookum, a Chickasaw silversmith, a fashion-forward beadwork artist? What if it meant walking into a room wearing something that no one else has, something that has a meaning or story behind it, something meant to last generations, or something that’s so avant-garde yet inspired by some of the most ancient techniques!?”

Go Native 2014

It’s a new year, it’s a new day. Let’s launch a new trend. Let’s breathe energy into our current Native American renaissance. Let’s go Native.

The expression ‘to go Native’ has been around for a while, and roughly means (from a non-Indigenous settler perspective) to take on the lifestyle or outlook of the local inhabitants that is different from one’s own.

In the past, to ‘go Native’ has had some very negative connotations: according to dictionaries, it has meant “to adopt the lifestyle of the local population, especially when it appears less civilized” or “to imitate the behavior of a surrounding culture, especially behavior that seems simple or natural.” (We know this is incorrect; we know our Indigenous cultures are complex, beautiful, full of wisdom and civility). But what if we rethink this concept?