Indigenous students showcase their favorite designs at Dartmouth’s fashion show

On Thursday evening, Dartmouth College students hosted the annual Indigenous Arts and Fashion Show. It is part of an ongoing observance of Indigenous Peoples Month at the school.

Reporter Elodie Reed brought this postcard from the event. This interview was produced for the ear. We strongly recommend listening to the audio. We have also provided a transcript, edited for length and clarity.

Elodie Reed: Rows of chairs line a red carpet at the Hood Museum of Art. Just beyond the carpet is a hallway full of changing tents, makeup stations, clothing and jewelry. Yazmyn Azure sits in the middle of it all, making sure her dress stays in place.

Yazmyn Azure: In case you didn’t know, everything at fashion shows is recorded!

Elodie Reed: Yazmyn – who goes by Yaz – is part of the Dartmouth Class of 2025. They are part of the Turtle Mountain Anishinaabe people in North Dakota. She is also co-president of Crafting Circle. This is an Indigenous-led organization on campus. And it is one of the organizers of this event.

Yazmyn Azure: Our main goal is reconnection through crafts and traditional practices. Last year, Abby actually picked up a porcupine from the side of the road and we were able to subdue it with the quill.

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Elodie Reed: Yaz refers to Abby Burgess, a Mi’kmaq First Nations native from Eskasoni, Nova Scotia. You are also a Class of 2025 student and co-president of the Crafting Circle.

Abby Burgess: We have sewing machines, ribbons, fabrics, beads and everything you need to make earrings and everything else.

When I’m beading and you’re not fully concentrating on what you’re doing, you mess up, you miss a bead, the thread gets caught, so I feel like whenever I’m beading there’s always a really good vibe Mood. It’s always a good energy.

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Elodie Reed: There’s undeniably good energy here tonight as the students prepare to model.

Jamie Powell: You know, there are often student demonstrations to raise awareness about residential schools and land expropriation.

Elodie Reed: This is Osage Nation citizen Jami Powell. She curates Indigenous art for the museum, teaches at the college, and also advises several Indigenous-led student groups on campus.

Jamie Powell: We really wanted to create an event that was all about celebrating the creativity, resilience and achievement of Indigenous peoples.

[To students] Alright guys, there’s still five minutes until the show!

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Elodie Reed: Both sides of the red carpet are now full of people.

Jamie Powell: We are official Live streaming on Hood’s Facebook page. So text your aunts, your grandmas and your uncles and tell them we’re streaming on Facebook and tell your uncles I’m single!

Students: Woahhhh! [Laughter]

Jamie Powell: I’m trying to make you all feel more comfortable, it’s great! It’s okay!

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Elodie Reed: Yaz and Abby are the presenters.

Yazmyn Azure: Welcome to the Sixth Annual Indigenous Art and Fashion Show.

We’ll have Rhett Williams. He is from the Houma Nation and wears a ribbon-embellished linen shirt and Henley collar by Yazmyn Shantelle Designs.

Abby Burgess: We have Wamniomni Afraid of Hawk. Wamni is a Cheyenne River Lakota native. The title of the look is “Language Warrior Hoodie,” with Lakota lettering he made himself. The writing in face paint translates to: “The Lakota language is powerful, the Lakota language creates change.”

Last but not least: we have Kendra Elk Looks Back. Kendra is from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe or Burnt Thigh Nation. They wear a ribbon skirt, concho belt and earrings from Grandmother June Elk Looks Back.

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Elodie Reed: While this fashion show is a space for Indigenous people, Crafting Circle co-presidents Abby and Yaz also say Indigenous people want to share what they’ve made with everyone.

Abby Burgess: I like that the broader Dartmouth community is here because I feel like Indigenous people are often viewed as a relic of the past.

There are so many ways that indigenous people are successful, for example in the fashion industry and things like that, by just creating really amazing things that aren’t – that have a touch of tradition but are also really cool and really fun and really new.

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Yazmyn Azure: We want people to wear our clothes. We want people to buy from small artists. We want people to wear our jewelry, pearl jewelry. We want this to be mainstream. That’s how we see the world, you know?

Elodie Reed: It’s a perspective, Yaz says, that makes her heart sing.

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