Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, from the Siksika Nation in Alberta, Canada, achieved an MA in American Indian Studies and a second MA degree in Art History, both from the University of Arizona. Currently she is Assistant Faculty of Art History in the Museum Studies department at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM. Current projects include producing the annual Indigenous fashion show for the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, chairing the curatorial board for Vital Spaces (Sant Fe), and developing new curricula for the IAIA Art History department. Previously, she was director and curator at Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art in Winnipeg.
Indigenizing Fashion: Squeeze Out the Appropriators
“My preference is to Indigenize rather than decolonize. Flood the fashion world with Indigenous designers and models. Expose the imposters and highlight Native designers on the international fashion platform.” Santa Fe–based art historian and curator Amber-Dawn Bear Robe (Siksika/Blackfoot) on fostering Indigenous creativity in the fashion industry.