- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is pleased to announce the return of SWAIA Native Fashion Week (SNFW), celebrating its second annual event, from May 7 through May 11, 2025. Following the success of last year's inaugural event, SNFW will present multiple runway shows, pop-up shops, activation spaces, and fashion panels—designed to spotlight Indigenous creativity, amplify Indigenous voices, and provide networking opportunities for artists and industry professionals.
"This year's Native Fashion Week will invite the community to join us in celebrating Indigenous creativity and innovation," said SWAIA Executive Director Jamie Schulze. "We have also issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a fashion producer to collaborate with SWAIA staff on the event. Interested and qualified applicants are asked to submit their proposals by December 20, 2024."
The event was made possible through the generous support of the New Mexico Multi-Cultural Foundation, Heritage Hotels, the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the City of Santa Fe, Malouf on the Plaza, N8tive Beauty, and Meow Wolf, along with media partners including Table Magazine New Mexico, Cowboys & Indians, and Native American Art Magazine.
Details on the participating designers and ticketing for the 2025 SNFW will be announced in early 2025. For more information on the upcoming event or to access the Request for Proposal (RFP) for a fashion producer, please visit: [RFP FASHION PRODUCER LINK].
More Stories Like This
Actor Jonathan Joss, Voice of John Redcorn, Killed in Texas ShootingCelebrate Summer and Father’s Day at the Chickasaw Cultural Center – June 14
After 30 Years, Berkeley's Turtle Island Monument Foundation Will Be Built
Chris Eyre's Jim Thorpe Documentary to Debut on The HISTORY Channel on July 7
Muscogee Opera Soprano Kirsten Kunkle Stars in Tosca Production in June
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
