Water Fits All

After almost a year of planning, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s (SMSC’s) fashion show with the theme “Water Fits All” kicked off on November 21, 2024. This was the first ever fashion show at Hocokata Ti, the SMSC’s cultural center that opened in 2019. The theme itself was a reflection of the SMSC’s efforts to incorporate traditional Dakota lifeways into something that would otherwise look contemporary to visitors. The group of tribal members that crafted the theme had many different elements in formulating the idea. Fashion hasn’t traditionally represented Native communities or people in a way that is appropriate. There are more examples than can be recounted here of fashion models wearing headdresses, fringed dresses, and “tribal” paint on their faces in hopes of capturing native design elements. These caricatures of the Native community that were created by the fashion industry did nothing but reinforce harmful stereotypes of Native people.

Designers such as Jocy and Trae Little Sky have become notable in the fashion industry through collaborations with Melody Eshani, Adidas, and Louis Vuitton x Pharrell Williams. Their rise contrasts with the stereotypes of Native people that have been prevalent in the fashion industry. In their artist statement, Jocy and Trae stated “we hold deep respect for water, recognizing its vital role in shaping and nurturing all living beings when in harmony with the other elements. Our customs and daily practices are closely intertwined with water, providing us with spiritual, emotional, and physical strength.” They have shown that Native people can have a strong presence in the fashion industry through the expression of indigenous lifeways. Their pieces ranged from everyday wear to an elk tooth wedding dress that has garnered attention from museums such as the Met and Smithsonian. Kayla Lookinghorse is another artist that has established herself as an Indigenous leader within the fashion industry. Her works have been featured in New York Fashion Week and she has also worked with Indigenous model Quannah Chasing Horse to help bring Indigenous designs and materials to the greater fashion world. The dress with the beaded top (worn by Quannah) features geometric designs that speak to Lakota culture and stories that reflect the land that Looking Horse calls home. In her artist statement, Lookinghorse describes a moment in her life in which water harmed her. She writes “my family and I relied on a nearby water pump for our daily needs. A turning point in my life came when I got very sick from drinking contaminated water.” Water is a constant, and the issues surrounding it are everyday issues that can impact traditional lands.

Another element that the SMSC included behind the thought of “Water Fits All” is that water is for everyone. Water is essential for life and Native people recognize this through the phrase mni wiconi (water is life) that was particularly important during the protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline that largely occurred in 2016-2017. In discussing the theme with artists, the words mni wiconi were consistently a powerful force that continued to shape any discussion on water. This was also featured in the water stories that the SMSC collected as part of the exhibit development of We are Water MN. Because of this, protecting the water and recycling served as a theme for some of the artists such as Marlena Myles (Spirit Lake Dakota). One of Marlena’s pieces was a military jacket that featured a pair of boxing gloves that read “for the water” and “for the earth.” Protecting water is not passive and requires the voices and activism of people that value the water and environment that will help sustain people past tomorrow.

Having a fashion show that spoke to the tribal community meant that the designers would be Native, and they were reflecting on water as a cultural reflection of Indigenous lifeways. The meaning behind the pieces didn’t include Native designs as a background, but at its core, represented by Native people in all elements possible including the artists, DJ, emcee, and models. One of the designers Georgina Drapeau (Isanti Dakota), spoke to the idea that water fits all body types and people. In her artist statement, she says “just as water embraces every curve of the land, so too should our clothing honor every curve of our bodies. My designs are created to be inclusive of all body types, flowing and resilient, like water itself.” Bill Brien (Lakota, Dakota, Chippewa, Metis) discussed that he wanted his pieces to reflect something that you can wear every day. He wanted to show that every day as Native people walk through life, they know their clothes can represent Indigenous design, but in a contemporary way. He writes, “much like Native culture, our culture has changed over the centuries and decades, but just like the river, our culture will continue on, changing course.”

Helping to guide visitors was emcee Redwing Thomas (Isanti Dakota) and DJ Austin Owens (Bdewankatawan Dakotah, Hopi). Redwing is used to being a presence on the pow wow scene, but seamlessly provided audiences with an understanding of Dakota lifeways as it relates to water through Dakota language and tradition. Redwing helped to center the event in a way that effortlessly pointed visitors towards viewing the pieces in that way. The music from DJ Austin Owens provided a connection between the artists, the pieces, and the audience to give it the feel of a fashion show. Many visitors reported that they’d never been to a fashion show before. Now they have only seen an Indigenous fashion show and it is no doubt that this effort was an expression of Dakota lifeways and culture that will continue to show Native people are still here.