Indigenizing Parsons presents an engaging panel conversation exploring the intersections of Indigenous fashion, dance, cultural identity, and creative expression through the perspectives of three Pueblo artists from the Southwest.
Featuring Than Povi Martinez (Tewa, Pueblo de San Ildefonso), Sage Mountainflower (Ohkay Owingeh, Taos Pueblo, Diné), and Loren Aragon (Acoma Pueblo), moderated by Patricia Michaels (Taos Pueblo, Assistant Professor of Indigenous Knowledges and Fashion Design), this conversation will explore how Indigenous artists and designers draw upon their relationships to community, cultural knowledges, and ancestral practices to inform their contemporary creative work.
Presented by Indigenous Rising at The New School
Than Povi Martinez is Tewa from Poh’Woh’Geh’Owingeh (Pueblo de San Ildefonso) in Northern New Mexico. Through her artistic pursuits she has trained internationally from Palestine to Panama in tandem with her goals of incorporating movement healing practices into Indigenous communities for Youth and Elders on reservations in the Southwest. Since 2024 she has graduated from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, with a BA in Dance and now teaches ballet to youth at Moving Arts Española.
Sage Mountainflower is an indigenous fashion designer, beadwork artist, and textile creator based in Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico. She is Ohkay Owingeh, Taos Pueblo, Diné and is known for redefining Indigenous style through her brand, she blends ancestral knowledge with contemporary innovation to craft "Indigenous Couture." Her collections—including Phendi Tewa, Ta' an di have graced the runways of Paris, Milan, and SWAIA Native Fashion Weeks and her latest upcycled Indigo Threads denim line earned feature honors in Native Max Magazine
Loren Aragon, from the Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico, is a Native American fashion designer and multimedia artist. He grew up on the Acoma reservation surrounded by family, art, and traditions. Aragon was influenced by the pottery his grandmothers made, garments by his aunt, and jewelry making from his uncle. His mother was especially influential on his artistic journey as she was an artist, a seamstress, and teacher. His grandfather encouraged his educational career and inspired him to study science and technology. In 2004, Aragon graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. In 2016, he co-founded ACONAV, a fashion brand celebrating women’s strength and empowerment through Acoma Pueblo cultural traditions. In 2023, he launched Towering Stone, a men’s luxury and lifestyle brand expressing the strength and resilience of Indigenous Pueblo culture through wearable art.
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