Allison Stroman - August 9 marks International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. In December 1994, the United Nations chose August 9 in commemoration “of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights held in Geneva in 1982”. The theme for this year is “‘Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact’”. This theme serves to emphasize Indigenous knowledge, especially with the environment and conservation:
“Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact are the best protectors of the forest. Where their collective rights to lands and territories are protected, the forests thrive, alongside their societies. And not only is their survival crucial to the protection of our planet, but it is crucial to the protection of cultural and linguistic diversity. In today’s hyper-connected world, the existence of Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact is a testament to the rich and complex tapestry of humanity, and it is a huge loss to our world if they cease to exist.”
The UN stresses the importance of “the protection of their rights as distinct peoples” especially as Indigenous Peoples are “among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people in the world”. This is highly distressing and a major factor in why our climate is struggling so much. In conjunction with large corporations, the loss of Indigenous knowledge and teaching in preserving the environment is rapidly leading to our downfall: “They are the guardians of most of the world’s remaining biodiversity.”
In honor of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, let us spotlight Indigenous and Native American designers creating high-quality fashion with a mission.
The founder and artist behind her eponymous brand Lesley Hampton, “Lesley Hampton is an Anishinaabe artist and fashion designer focused on mental wellness and body neutrality in fashion through the lens of the Indigenous worldview” and a “member of the Temagami First Nation”. Hampton holds a deep passion for “socio-cultural causes as she uses her work as a catalyst for research, conversation, and community building”. Learning to sew at four years old, Hampton spent a great deal of time in her family’s sewing room at home, creating and learning from her mother. Hampton states that her “interest in fashion began by watching Jeanne Beker on Fashion Television” despite “never really [seeing herself] being a part of that world”. Despite all this, she dedicated herself to inclusion and continues in her commitment to “bring all different body types, abilities and skin colours to the runway,” and that is exactly what Hampton did in her first show. At the core of her eponymous brand, Lesley Hampton prioritizes “body positivity, mental health awareness and authentic representation“. These values are present in everything Hampton does:
“I always say my favourite thing about fashion is when I'm with a client and they put on the dress and they love how it fits – and they love how it looks. They feel that way because it was made for them and not made for, say, a smaller body and then sized up incorrectly because no one's taught how to design for plus size. That's definitely so exciting for me when I see those smiles.”
Hampton consistently prioritizes inclusion regardless of negative responses from casting directors. She sees “representation as a form of harm reduction” and finds the responsibility for reducing harm as falling on “the designer, or the creative director, or the media outlet”. Taking on this responsibility, Hampton aims to increase representation and decrease harm:
“It is so crucial for our mental health to lower the harm that we apply to ourselves, either physically or mentally. I see there being such a direct relation between mental health and clothing because we interact with clothing every day and our mental health and body image is connected to the implications of that experience….Authentic representation is making that decision to include someone with a difference. It’s not tokenism, and it's not just checking a box. It's because you truly believe that their inclusion will make a change and make a difference. It's seeing yourself represented in a space and taking up that space proudly. You see an individual who empowers you and that allows you to come into your own power and take on the day.”
Lesley Hampton has garnered a wide range of accolades including a feature on the “Forbes 30 Under 30 Local: Toronto list and the number one Canadian brand to keep your eye on by VOGUE” as well as being a speaker and lecturer.
Dr. Amanda Bruegl and Dr. Eric Brodt founded Ginew to create “heirloom-quality garments and goods” that will last for generations and are infused with “family symbols and teachings”. With durable materials at the center, Ginew focuses on “Native Americans uplifting Native Americans and in the process creating a collection to be worn by all”. This community centered approach has been present since the brand's inception when Dr. Bruegl and Dr. Brodt “jointly crafted the first series of belts from their wedding buffalo, which was hunted, prepared, tanned and hand-dyed by them with their families”. Ginew has since “expanded to include denim, tees, accessories and other goods, with each item they make drawing direct inspiration from their cultures and relatives,” strengthening the community Dr. Bruegl and Dr. Brodt hold at the center of their work. These community-centered values run even deeper:
“We aim to connect to a diverse community through our storytelling. We aim to provide opportunities, especially for the Native community. We do not believe in planet vs profit or profit vs people. We care about our ecosystem from our employees and designers to our customers.”
Further present in their values, community drives their “small-batch clothing production” in the United States to ensure that everyone involved in manufacturing gets fair wages and that their products will last a long time, keeping them out of the landfill or other harmful pathways. Ginew’s community lives in the pieces they create with each piece crafted to “incorporate stories of [their] ancestors and culture”. Ginew “invite[s] others to understand the history that is sewn into our collection” as the wearer eventually adds their own history, furthering the community ties between everyone involved: “We walk together.” Dr. Bruegl and Dr. Brodt express their dedication through community in their dedication to living well:
“‘Minobimaadiziiwin’ - ‘Yohahi-yo sathahitaʔn’ are philosophies in their tribes which embodies the concept to live in a good way. Simply put, LIVE WELL. Erik and Amanda choose to live intentionally with the adventurous spirit of their relatives and invite you to join the adventure.”
Ginew works closely with Native designers and creatives as a part of the Ginew+ line where all profits are shared with the designers and “the community with fundraisers and donations that reflect our values”. In all their partnerships, Ginew focuses on “Native small businesses and independent artisans that take pride in their craft while caring for their employees and the Earth.”
Bethany Yellowtail founded B. YELLOWTAIL in 2015 and “is a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, and proudly hails from the Mighty Few District of the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation”. Yellowtail founded her brand with the mission to “see herself and her communities authentically and equitably represented in mainstream fashion”. Yellowtail has wanted to own a fashion brand since she was young:
“I always wanted to have my own fashion brand. I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a little girl. I learned to sew and make cultural regalia when I was very young thanks to my grandmother and auntie. I even started designing my own clothes in 7th grade thanks to my home economics teacher. However it was after I left home (on the Crow Indian reservation) and entered into the fashion industry when I really started to understand how my role and responsibility as a Native woman could merge with my dreams and desires to create my own label.”
She found that there was a need for accurate and authentic Native representation, so she created B. YELLOWTAIL for “Native women [to] feel empowered and celebrated by the clothes they wear” and to fulfill her childhood dreams. An active community member, Yellowtail is an “unapologetic arbiter of authenticity; a genuine voice who seeks to empower through design and equitable representation”. An active member of her community, Yellowtail “is passionate about using fashion as a tool to uplift Women and young girls, and to support MMIWG preventative resources”. A core program at B. YELLOWTAIL is the Rez Girls Mentorship Fund which provides “workshops, retreats and mentorship opportunities for young girls, women, and two spirit relatives” with a focus on “leadership, personal development, community-building, and nurturing healthy relationships [and] tools and meaningful experiences that will help Rez Girls live better in balance while carrying the strength of their grandmother’s grandmothers”. This community focus comes through in Yellowtail’s design process as well which centers “many important teachings, histories and instructions for ways of being embedded inside [her] cultural designs”. Furthermore, Bethany Yellowtail founded the B. YELLOWTAIL collective in 2016 to “support Indigenous arts entrepreneurs and help get their work out and accessible to a larger market”. The collective serves as an “alternative route for Native artists and businesses to have economic opportunities where they are made priority, can make an actual profit and sustain themselves with a living wage” which fuels cultural traditions around creating and craft despite poverty posing a “major barrier”. To combat this, artists in the collective “receive 70 percent of profit from retails sales at byellowtail.com and with every sale, consumers are directly investing in Native people, our businesses, and supporting our culture – without the appropriation”. This has allowed more and more artists to sustain themselves on their art. Through all of this community-centered work, Bethany Yellowtail continues her dedication to her values and the community where they come from:
“I understand myself as a Northern Cheyenne Woman and an Apsaalooke biaa with an inherent role and responsibility to my community. I was raised being told that no matter what I do or where I go in the world, I’m always to be helpful and give back to the people I come from. My values are integrated into everything I do. Although I never set out to create a brand that does “social impact work” per se, my values, cultural beliefs, and teachings help guide the decisions and the choices I make even in business. To begin, I would tell a designer or brand to write down your values. What are they? What do you believe in? Are the choices and decisions you make in alignment with the world you want to see? Are they in alignment with the world you want to leave for future generations to inherit? I’d tell them to start there first.”
Each of these designers share an important platform dedicated to uplifting and supporting Native American and Indigenous people, which is important every day of the year, not just on days when an international or national organization says to do so. In order to create a more inclusive environment for Indigenous and Native American peoples and better the fashion industry as a whole, these designers and many others are important to follow, support, and listen to.