Does Etsy Condone Trademark Violation?

So, if you haven't heard, the Navajo Nation is suing Urban Outfitters over product names (read more here and here). I completely support the Navajo Nation on this one (it's straight up trademark violation in my eyes) and I'm interested to see how Urban Outfitters responds.

Well, when I heard about this lawsuit, I remembered that a high number of "Navajo" products were being sold on Etsy (3,503 items, to be exact).

Michelle Thrush Rocks A Danita Strawberry Dress

Hello everybody! I am on my way home from a great trip to British Columbia for the Beat Nation exhibition opening at the Vancouver Art Gallery. It was a busy, event-packed couple of days, and at one of the parties, I spotted a kickin Danita Strawberry dress. Being a Native fashion geek, I recognized the dress before I recognized the star wearing it.

Cree actress Michelle Thrush was in Van for the Aboriginal Achievement Awards. We last saw her on this blog wearing a Disa Tootoosis dress for the Geminis. I love the fact that she supports (and wears) dresses by First Nations fashion designers, and that they in turn support her as well. It's like the 'Michele Obama model' of making subtle political statements with fashion.

Before y'all Heard about it

Guest blogger I.D.K. returns for his second post on Beyond Buckskin: “Before y'all Heard about it.”

With the Heard Indian Market mania just around the corner, I wanted to take a few moments (paragraphs) to address the timeless topic of financial value in the art marketplace. No doubt, there are many distinguished artists who command a premium for their work. They've honed their craft, developed a consistent fan-base, and can stand alone in any situation that is required of them.

10 Favorite Native Websites and Blogs

Dear readers,

I have a request - I need to come up with a list of our Ten Favorite Native American Websites and Blogs for an article that I'm writing for Native Peoples Magazine (for their special SWAIA Indian Market issue) and I would love your input.

Which Native-focused websites and blogs do you visit often for information about Native cultures, arts, and contemporary representations, and discussions on current issues/news?

Beat Nation and Maria Hupfield

One of my favorite artists is Maria Hupfield. I first came to know of Hupfield's work when my friend Amber-Dawn Bear Robe lassoed Hupfield into submitting some art for Red Ink Magazine back in 2005.

Hupfield is of Anishnaabe (Ojibway) heritage, and a member of Wasauksing First Nation, in Ontario. She works with photography, sculpture, installation and performance art. Last August, a group of us were participants in Vestige Vagabond - a public art performance by Hupfield and Charlene Vickers held during the annual Santa Fe Indian Market (left).

At the Edge of Canada: Indigenous Research

When I was in Winnipeg the other week, I was asked to do an interview for the radio show At the Edge of Canada: Indigenous Research, and it was a wonderful experience talking with the host, Dr Robert-Falcon Ouellette, about the exciting world of Native fashion. The interview is available online as a podcast, and you can access it by clicking here or here (and I actually sound semi-intelligent. Rock out!)

Some History | Tlingit Armor

It's time to go beyond buckskin and take a look at some armor. In many Native communities, specialty armor was constructed to provide physical protection on the battlefield. Oftentimes this armor was imbued with spiritual protection as well. These symbolic qualities were viewed as being even more powerful than the physical aspects.

One of the coolest examples of Native American warrior gear is Tlingit armor. Tlingit warriors wore battle helmets depicting crest animals or ancestors, along with wooden visors, thick leather tunics, and body armor covered with wooden slats or coins. This battle attire combines technology, ingenuity, and symbolic power and protection.

The walrus-hide body armor (left), which dates from 1800-1830, is covered with Chinese coins.

RED Model Management Seeks Native Models

Attention Native American and First Nations models, future models, past models, and just, overall, chicks and dudes.

I received an email the other day from a representative at RED Model Management about scouting some Native faces.

Photographer Profile | Nadya Kwandibens

I first came across the photography of Nadya Kwandibens when I was scouting for artists for Red Ink Magazine (left). The issue was going to focus on the loose idea that a Native pop cultural movement was occurring, and we wanted to infuse the issue with visuals that would capture the energy behind this idea. Nadya's work was a perfect match. It was bright. It was contemporary. And it was distinctively 'Indian.'

Cherry Blossom | Mea B'fly Earrings

Yay! The latest addition to my earring collection arrived this weekend!

They come from the creative hands of MaRia A. Bird, the owner of Mea B'fly Designs. The name of her small business is a combination of Mea, a childhood nickname short for MaRia, and B'fly, short for butterfly "in honor of my late great grandmother and giver of all that is special and cherished by me - family and self."

Some History | Faw Faw Coats

The Peabody Essex Museum currently has an Oto Faw Faw Coat on display for their Shapeshifting: Transformations in Native American Art exhibition (left image from Wicked Local Photo by Nicole Goodhue Boyd).

The coat is associated with a religion led by William Faw Faw (Oto), who taught his followers to reject European influences and return to traditional ways. Movements such as this one were common among Native tribes at the turn of the century, when their ways of life were forcibly coming to an end.

Interestingly, the coat follows the tailoring of European coat styles and is made using non-Native materials: wool cloth, glass beads, metal, and sequins. Yet, despite the materials, the coat is distinctively Native.

Indian Headdresses Should Not Be On Etsy

But, they are.

And you can find a couple hundred options to pick from.

Native Appropriations blogger Adrienne Keene has already explained over and over again why you can't wear a hipster headdress, and other writers Kate Burch, Mimi Thi Nguyen, and Julia at a la garconniere (among others) have also shared their perspectives on the matter (yes, it is beginning to feel a weensy bit repetitive).

Navajos, Rodeos, Levi's and Pendleton

It's like a recipe for awesomeness.

Over a year ago, Levi's teamed with Pendleton to create a line of denim/blanket gear (sounds funky when I word it like that), and then they crewed up with Vice Magazine to present a documentary titled "Bares, Broncs and Bulls, Ranching and Riding in the Desert of the Southwest with the Hardest Working Navajo Kids Around."

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Your Elder’s Name is Google

So, it's been 5 days since I wrote about the 'Native scene' on Etsy, where I essentially make a few brash statements that can be summed up as follows:

1. If you go on Etsy and search 'Native American,' it is difficult to find items that are actually 'Native American' (and, just to be clear, I mean, 'made by Native Americans'), instead you will find items made by non-Natives, but inspired by Native cultures:
• 23,474 items come up when you search 'native american'
• 7,765 items for 'american Indian'
• 3,326 items for 'Navajo'
2. Non-Natives continue to use the 'Native American' label as a marketing tactic to sell their work and make money, sometimes it is even in violation of IACA. As Noelle Shaw pointed out "It is blatant cultural theft for profit" and "It is offensive and illegally undermines authentic Native American art markets exponentially."

Designer Profile | Yvonne Jobin

Yvonne Jobin is a Cree First Nations artist and designer based out of Calgary, Alberta, where she operates her business Moonstone Creation.

Jobin's knowledge of traditional Cree culture and art is reflected in the clothing and accessories that she makes for her business. Using traditional materials and techniques (such as for her jackets that are made of smoked tanned hide), Jobin continues the practices of the Cree people before her. She says she is dedicated to preserving and teaching her culture through the arts and with the use of authentic materials of her ancestors.

Bead Artist Profile | Jamie Okuma

Jamie Okuma (Luiseño/Shoshone-Bannock) began working with beads as a child creating her own dance regalia for powwows near her home, on the La Jolla Luiseño Reservation.

In high school, Okuma made her first miniature jingle dress, which she placed on a doll figure, and thus, the Jamie Okuma we know today emerged.

Historical accuracy, exemplary workmanship, and keen attention to detail are the hallmarks of her dolls, which are also frequently referred to as ‘soft sculptures’ since the term ‘doll’ seems to diminish the aesthetic range of these creations.

Terminology aside, the magnificent small wonders that she creates replicate life in miniature.

Etsy Is A Breeding Ground For....

Etsy is a breeding ground for Native American stereotypes, tackiness, and tastelessness. Yea I'm being crude, rude, and blunt. But it needs to be said (see the "Native Princess and Sky Quilted Vintage Purple Meditation Wrap Kimono Vest by MountainGirlClothing" to the left - hey, it's on sale too).

Ok, so, the deal on Etsy - Etsy is "the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace." In other words, people make stuff, find vintage stuff, and then sell it on Etsy in their cyber shops. In theory, it is a great way to launch small businesses. Think about it, you can operate a small business out of your home in rural Tinyville and reach millions of people throughout the world with just a few clicks. In theory, it is a fantastic resource for artists and 'crafters'.

Designer Profile | Lisa Shepherd

Taanshi Kiya’wow!

When I came across the website of Métis designer Lisa Shepherd and saw that greeting, I got very excited and wanted to learn more about this artist and her work.

Lisa Shepherd grew up in the Alberta prairies. She studied art throughout high school and college, and attended the University College of the Fraser Valley, graduating with a degree in Apparel Design in the Fine Arts Department. She says, "It isn’t by mistake that today I am designing, stitching and beading intricate moccasins, jewellery and garments." Indeed it seems as though her path to becoming an artist was always under her feet.