Come to the National Museum of the American Indian and hear curator Anya Montiel (Mestiza/Tohono O’odham descent) giving a closer look at the museum’s special installation Making a Statement, which demonstrates how Native women combine traditional design elements with modern military symbolism to demonstrate cultural pride and honor military service. The installation features a historical Lakota beaded dress decorated with elaborate patriotic American imagery and a blue jingle dress made by members of the Native American Women Warriors to show pride in their Indigenous heritage and to emphasize the role of Native women in the military. Then, get hands-on to learn more about beadwork, jingle cones, and other design elements related to Native dressmaking in the museum’s Teaching Collection.
Image: Photo by Norwood Photography for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian