HEADDRESS DISASTERS OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY

Recently, Chanel's Dallas Fashion show featured a Cowboys & Indians theme, where models on the catwalk were feathered and one wore an all white war bonnet. First of all, is the need for native designers in an ever growing market that wants to honor native peoples of this hemisphere. I encourage designer brands to draw in that wealth of experience and tribal knowledge, talent and vision. I implore this industry to seek out American Indian designers, and people of tribal heritage and fold them into efforts of the industry to culturally represent with authenticity.

Second, there are countless young native American women with the looks, talent and capability to model any cultural themed costumes, and that should be the industry standard going forward. The door is still closed to our sisters, and I would first ask that the industry cultivate a cadre of both male and female models who can successfully pull off native cultural presentations.

Third, native people can project a vision that would not inappropriately use cultural icons like the warbonnet, or head dress in a manner often done, in a cheap sexual and tawdry way. And what is up with that anyway? Since Cher wore the headdress, it has been acceptable for scantily clad women to slap one on and slither about. Lana Del Rey did it, and its become almost equated with sexuality and sexual expression. The opposite of what it was intended for. The Chanel model, while fully clothed, is the recent exception.

On a deeper level, what does this mean: are white women striving for a power symbol? It this a deeper sexual fascination with the native male in the mindset of a captivity narrative furthering the negative stereotype of the native man as wild and dangerous? Is this the modern expression and extension of film captivity narratives that have stereotyped and dogged native people since the first western movie?

Since fashion lines chose to exploit native people's icons and symbols, these multi billion dollar enterprises should look at the culture and communities they are exploiting for their bottom line. There are vast unmet needs in Indian country. Going down the road of exploitation is a double edged sword that often works to impale native people.

The work of Chanel caricaturizes native culture, imagery and iconography, and makes us only visible in the periperal, knock-off manner these kinds of presentations are made. It serves native people no real justice to be caricaturized in an exploitive way intended to reap millions off the sale of their iconography of cultural and meaningful symbols and items.

The day before more critical articles came out of the Chanel Dallas fashion show; a sacred eagle feather was placed in the casket of Nelson Mandela by the Canadian National Chief, Shawn Atleo of the Ahousaht people of coastal British Columbia. Our symbols are weighted with a sacred belief, and there is great care in the feathers themselves, as sacred relics of our connection to our winged relations. Further, the painting of symbols on the feathers are often connected to the individual's symbolism, and carry meaning of a spiritual nature. Paints, whether used on feathers or in other ways, are in cultural context—intended for spiritual reasons. This is observed by most if not all tribes.

The Chanel empire did a simultaneous service and disservice, and it is upon us as native women leaders and the corporate brass to use this as a teachable moment. I am aware many of the models are very forward thinking, intelligent women who would not knowingly violate the cultural beliefs of a group of people, and would not knowingly participate in that. The presence of native designers in the making of lines, and in other aspects of fashion show events, should be brought in. Whether these projects are done by a brand employee, or whether or not a major brand took the time, effort and respect to draw in native people into a themed project is the difference between raw unbridled exploitation and accolades of being a standard bearer of equality in the industry.

Building upon the fashion industry's recent mishaps on this issue, (citing the recent Victoria Secret slip up), we can see the fashion industry as wanting to reach out to native people, or to express empathy with native people. In the context of the Dallas show, it highlighted the spirit of the West and native people's place in that history.

We have to take what is commendable, and strive to improve. This is a corporate step forward, and I feel the moment can be seized, and drawing in native themes must accentuate that iconography, is in large part—based upon the story teller. A model is in a sense, a story teller. So is a designer, art director, and photographer I implore the industry to work toward accolades, not exploitation. It is a win/win proposition.

This is helpful with race relations going forward. I would like to see Chanel do a complete do-over, involve the native women fashionistas, such as Manitoba-born, and Tucson-based Anishinabe Chione Skye, and her company, the Chic Cartel. She has vast experience on appropriate cultural presentations of native women models in the context of their respective tribal representations.

This is a matter that will not go away. I suggest in the future, native people, from art directors, models, photographers, and designers, are involved in all phases of a presentation that is going to be made. They are effective as a cultural filter and to ensure major brands do not encounter these kinds of controversies in the future. We can all agree it is time to make a forward proactive approach that is culturally relevant, respectful and tasteful. As Chanel and Victoria Secret have effectively demonstrated, we are not a vanquished race. Native people are of a vast array of vibrant cultures, and obviously marketable.

Melinda Gopher was raised as a traditional native Ojibway (Blackfeet descent) on Hill 57, Great Falls, Montana. She is available to advise the major industry brands on their culturally inclusive campaigns. Twitter: OjibwekweOgemaw, and email: MelindaGopher@gmail.com. She is a blogger for the Huffington Post since 2009, and a screenwriter, paralegal, multi-dimensional artist, fancy dancer, and ran for the U.S. House.

The View From Montana: Native Woman Storytelling & Moccasin Making

My experiments in mass media began as long ago as 1990;  I began to write about the Zortman Landusky mine on the southern border of the Ft. Belknap Indian Reservation.  I began narratives of the native experience as told from the eyes of the people who were fighting the contamination of their tribe's drinking water caused by the open pit cyanide heap leach gold mine.

The environmental justice fight began with a few people, and one person--me: with foresight to effectively use mass media to engage the public, and tell the story of the people in this mass media environment.  This was the age before Twitter and Facebook, it presented challenges.  The media was more open in many ways back then, than it is now. It was easier to bring a story about, in a sense, back then, than it is now.  I wrote the native perspective using the Great Falls Tribune as a forum for the tribal people addressing this environmental issue.  The early effort helped galvanize public support; as this issue was eventually covered and picked up by major news networks such as CNN.  Reporter Peter Arnett covered the controversy at a key time in this effort.

By 1996, I was writing a weekly column for a short lived weekly newspaper in Great Falls called the Great Times weekly.  This weekly was published by friend Lauren Dundee; who had previously run a small town news paper out of Stockett, Montana.  She was perhaps more successful in the Stockett enterprise than with the Great Times weekly.  I am not sure as to why Great Times shut down; she hinted that she maybe needed more of a business plan.  My own estimation is she started a weekly venture at a time when on-line media was in its infancy, and about to burst onto the scene.  Coupled with the inability to compete with a larger corporate media holding like the Great Falls Tribune, acquired by Gannett in 1992.  

I was not actively in media until 2009; in that time I raised a family of four children.  I began blogging for the Huffington Post.  I began this by highlighting the need for health care reform that embraced the needs of the average person.  We went from hopes of a single payer system:  the more progressive elements of the Democratic Party were boxed in to arguing for a public option in the insurance exchanges.  This was not what we had envisioned.  It is my belief to this day; as the mold was cast as an industry friendly bill, in fact, an industry insider wrote the bill--this cost the Democrats the U.S. House in 2010.  The loss of the U.S. House was stunning, and something the Democrats have yet to recover from.

The ground I carved out as a nationally and internationally visible Huffington Post blogger, I still occasionally blog--was instrumental in that it made Native women visible to a mass media market as never before.  I am as visible and a known quantity in the USA and Canada.  What happened next is phenomenal.  Stephen Harper's government made a drastic move to pass Bill C-45; gutting Canada's protection of its major waterways and curtailing the sovereignty of First Nations across Canada.  The controversy exploded on-line, and ushered in a new age of prominence and visibility of native women activists who blazed on with the Idle No More movement.  This winter marks its one year anniversary.  

While inroads are carved; there is more work to be done.  In 2010 my first attempt at a run for federal office wound down:  I came in a close third to Tyler Gernant in the Montana primary.  I averaged a cost of .35 cents per vote.  I did not set out to win in 2010, I merely wanted to test the strength of my name recognition, and I lacked, and still lack the major party support.  I did another thing in 2010; I completed my first 120 minute screenplay, Thundering Eagle's War.  This is a personal narrative set in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.  It is significant for the reason, it may be the first war screenplay penned by a Native woman.  It quickly attracted the attention of Washington state producers who will assist in bringing this venture to the big screen.

Success for me is measured in the words I write, and the vision I attempt to project to be spot on in the work I do.  I am continuing in this venture I began so many years ago.  My soul as a writer began on the top of the cusp of Hill 57 in Great Falls, Montana.  I came from an impoverished family, sometimes my only outlet was writing.  I would often go on long walks along this cusp of ground, descend back down the hill and find a pen and paper.  I honed my thought process freestyle, with little formal guidance.  I feel this is the best way to enable a person to become a free thinker;  minimal interruption and room for creativity.  

When I wasn't doing that, my sisters and I helped our mother Dorothy and late aunt, Rose Gopher Bacon, "tan" hides.  This was our traditional craft and occupation, and we transformed the finished product into moccasins.  We were a family of moccasin makers.  My writing has been my self reliance, and when I get too far from my own sense of self, I pull out the beads and bead.  It always brings me back to where I need to be.  

I am preparing for continued ventures:  I am exploring the possibility of bringing the story of James Many White Horses to the big screen.  I have major film ventures in my own company's pipeline.  My production company will pitch endeavors to Current TV, the Women's Channel and OWN.  I remain hopeful and self-reliant.  From my humble beginnings on Hill 57; I am positioning for a major media brand.  I am grateful.