For nearly a decade, Delina White from Onigum on the Leech Lake Reservation has brought Indigenous fashion and design to the forefront in Minnesota.
On April 25, Native Nations Fashion Night returns as the largest Native fashion event in the Upper Midwest. But new this year is the first-ever Creative Economy Summit on April 24, a one-day gathering aimed at breaking down barriers and building economic opportunity for Native artists.
“We have to have a different mindset about money and we need to talk about money.”Delina White
In a recent KAXE Morning Show conversation, White said, “I think it’s really important, because I hear from other Native artists that these organizations who are providing support to artists aren’t quite getting it right for our Native artists — that there are barriers.
“I have experienced that firsthand, too, so I think that’s why it’s become a mission of mine to provide economic opportunities for my community. And my community goes beyond Leech Lake Reservation.”
The Creative Economy Summit brings together Native artists, grantmakers, legal experts and financial educators. Sessions include grant writing, copyright and trademark law, and shifting cultural relationships with money.
Nikki Pieratos is one of the many speakers. She is executive director of Tiwahe Foundation. Her talk is “From Healing to Sustainable Futures: Shared Trauma of Money.”
White said she believes Native Americans have been set up for financial disaster. “We are not eligible for conventional loans, and people have a perspective that we make millions of dollars on our casinos, and that we get money from the government, from the treaties. But everyone knows that the treaties were broken.”
As White explained her own situation, even though she has received grants and created opportunities for many other creatives, she too isn’t eligible for conventional loans. “Because we don’t own our land, it’s trust land that our government owns on behalf of us. We can’t get a loan for that.”
White explained the things she owns — like her car, sewing machine and computer — also don’t qualify her for loans. “We have to have a different mindset about money and we need to talk about money.”
The summit will also include a session by Gerald White, Delina’s husband, titled “Sustaining Life Through Traditional Arts: The Economy of Our Hands and Hearts.” He’ll explore traditional practices like wild harvesting and woodworking as pathways to both cultural preservation and economic sustainability.
Native Nations Fashion Night itself continues to grow, with models, designers, stylists and supporters coming from across the country. Once again, Minnesota’s Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will model in the show.
White emphasized that both events rely on community support and collaboration.
“This production is labor-intensive. We have a crew that’s been with me for years — photographers, stylists, sound engineers, lighting designers. People don’t always see the details, but they feel them,” she said. “That’s what creates the experience.”
The Creative Economy Summit and Native Nations Fashion Night will both take place at the InterContinental St. Paul Riverfront hotel. Tickets are sold separately and seating for the summit is limited to just 100 participants.
The event is sponsored in part by The Mni Sota Fund, an organization focused on housing and entrepreneurship support for Indigenous communities. Other supporters include KAXE and the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
For more information and tickets, visit NativeNationsFashion.com.
Hear our conversation above!
