Honoring the Resilience
We were just elated when SWAIA let us know that the theme for this year’s Santa Fe Indian Market would be Rise & Remember: Honoring the Resilience of Native Women. It is truly an honor for us to be associated with this cause and when you look through the pages of this magazine you will see work upon work—whether it be pottery, jewelry, beadwork, painting, photography, sculpture or basketry— created by Native women from tribes across the country.
“This year we seek to honor our sisters who have passed, who have gone missing and/or were murdered and those who are with us fighting for better tomorrows,” says Elizabeth Kirk (Isleta/navajo), SWAIA Board Chair, “and at the same time, celebrating our up-and-coming generations.”
When we heard about this, we called Zoë Urness, one of our favorite photographers, and she let us know that she was traveling to the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico to do a photo shoot dealing with this exact theme. Zoë’s photo shoot was scheduled for a week after our deadline for this issue, so she changed the date to accommodate our deadline and filled us in on what she was planning.
Zoë organized to have a large group of Native women from small children to elders meet her in front of famed Shiprock and pose in full Native garments, jewelry, beadwork, dresses, blankets and pottery. She wanted the models to be interacting, to be positive and affirming and proud. On the photo shoot, Zoë sent us rough shots and we were literally blown away by the power and beauty of her imagery. And we knew immediately that it had to be our cover! Zoë’s work is also included in the Hearts of our People exhibition that just opened at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
So, here it is. Our annual special issue completed devoted to SWAIA’S Santa Fe Indian Market. We love this event and what we love more is being able to share it with all of you. If you haven’t been yet, make this the year you go. And when you do, make sure to look at each and every page of this magazine and find out what is happening and what art you’re interested in buying.
Sincerely,
P.S. And then tell us about it!! We want to hear about all the art you buy at this year’s market. Make sure to email me directly at joshuarose@nativeamericanartmagazine.com and let me know about your purchases. Take photos of you wearing them, of them hanging in your home or just let us know what you bought and from whom. We love hearing these stories!