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By Kaili Berg

May 03, 2024

Renowned Cree Métis and Two-Spirit artist, activist, fashion designer, and educator Jason Baerg is set to make waves once again as they unveil their latest collection at the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) Native Fashion Week on May 5. 

Operating under their fashion label, Ayimach Horizons, Baerg will introduce the Kapishkum (Transcend) Collection for SWAIA, paying tribute to their Cree and Métis heritage.

Inspired by the essence of water and the changing seasons, the collection blends traditional materials like leather and silk with contemporary design elements. Each piece reflects the fluidity and transformative power of water, with transparent fabrics and metallic accents adding a touch of elegance, while dynamic touches of horsehair infuse the collection with movement, evoking the spirit of the land.

After earning recognition as one of Vogue’s “21 Artists to Know at This Year’s Santa Fe Indian Market,” Baerg’s creative journey has taken them to prestigious platforms such as the Musée McCord Stewart in Montreal and Fashion Art Toronto.

Native News Online spoke with Baerg about their journey in the fashion industry, focusing on their inspiration, challenges faced by Indigenous artists, and their aspirations to contribute to the history of art and fashion.

This article has been edited for clarity and length.

What inspired you to get into the fashion industry? 

I started my first capsule collection in 2018, in the resort space, with the Fashion Art Gallery in New York City. I’ve always loved fashion, being raised by strong Indigenous women. I’m also two-spirit. Fashion was such a powerful vehicle in the 80s, making it an expressive art form for me. I’m also an artist, a tenured professor in drawing and painting at OCAD University in Toronto, which holds the largest painting department in North America.

​​What are you most looking forward to about showcasing the Kapishkum (Transcend) Collection at SWAIA Native Fashion Week?
I started this conceptual journey focusing on East-West sunrises and honoring elements like fire, earth, and metals. We’ll experience all the beautiful colors of water and its transformative power on the runway this year. 

Water seems to play a significant role in the collection.Could you elaborate on the symbolism of water and how it informs your artistic expression?
This year, I’m honoring water. Copper is also a key signifier because copper purifies water. So, we’re going to be experiencing all the beautiful colors of what water lives in. We also think about transformation. Water starts out as liquid, vaporizes to clean itself, rises through the atmosphere, and then returns as rain, snow, or hail. It carries memory and a story. There’s so much that water does, so I’m really honoring water through this collection. I’m looking forward to presenting that work. 

What challenges have you faced as an Indigenous artist in the fashion world, and how have you overcome them?
I’m white presenting. I just want to be honored and respected as an equal. Lateral violence is improving, but being white passing has been a challenge. My grandmother and great-grandmother went to residential school, andsome married white men for safety. I believe Native makers deserve space for mastery. That’s what I welcome in the next phase of making — to focus and honor my gift.

What message or feeling do you hope your audience takes away at SWAIA from experiencing the Kapishkum Collection?
I believe in our people and cultural teachings. I want them to feel empowered,inspired, to call in their dreams and live them, propelling forward together in power.

Finally, looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the future of your career?
I have an exciting project in Los Angeles within a museum space. I’ve previously presented at the National Gallery of Canada, making me one of the first Native artists there in the fashion space. Next, I’ll be opening a fashion festival in Montreal, reaching an audience of 10,000 in August. My aspirations include making valuable contributions to art and fashion, particularly for my people and our history, akin to greats like Eve Celeron.

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About The Author

Author: Kaili BergEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Staff Reporter

Kaili Berg (Aleut) is a member of the Alutiiq/Sugpiaq Nation, and a shareholder of Koniag, Inc. She is a staff reporter for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. Berg, who is based in Wisconsin, previously reported for the Ho-Chunk Nation newspaper, Hocak Worak. She went to school originally for nursing, but changed her major after finding her passion in communications at Western Technical College in Lacrosse, Wisconsin.

Submitted photo
Appalachian Forest Discovery Center in Elkins will display the new exhibit ‘Creating Home: Indigenous Roots and Connections in the Appalachian Forest’ on Saturday, May 18.

ELKINS — Seneca artisans will display their art on Saturday, May 18 for the opening of the newest exhibit at the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center. The public is invited to welcome Native artists as they share their culture with beadwork, corn husk dolls, leatherwork, basketry, foods, and more, with a Seneca Artisan Showcase.

Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) will celebrate the opening of their new exhibit “Creating Home: Indigenous Roots and Connections in the Appalachian Forest.” The exhibit explores the history and contemporary stories of Native American cultures with connections to the AFNHA region and their influence on Appalachian culture. The Appalachian Forest Discovery Center, located at the Darden Mill, 101 Railroad Ave, Elkins, will be open to the public with free admission from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays, from May 18 through the end of October.

“Many people have been told that there were no permanent Native American settlements in West Virginia or that they just used this area for hunting. Yet the names and languages of Indigenous people remain on our landscape in place names like Seneca Rocks, Mingo, and Monongahela,” explained Eleanor Renshaw, AmeriCorps member with AFNHA, who led the exhibit’s development. “Our exhibit brings together Native stories and arts past and present, along with archaeological research, to show some of the many ways that Indigenous people have lived, loved, and created home in the Appalachian Forest since time immemorial.”

The Seneca Artisan Showcase on May 18 will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will feature presentations and demonstrations on Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) art and culture by traditional artists from the Seneca Nation. There will also be artwork for sale and a community supper featuring Appalachian foods with indigenous roots (such as beans and cornbread).

Schedule:

9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Artisans showcase with vendor tables

Special demonstrations throughout the day:

9:30 a.m. Penny Minner – Split Black Ash Baskets

10:45 a.m. Bernadette Scott – Corn as Art

12 p.m. Chef Lorinda John – Three Sisters Fritters tasting

1:15 p.m. Mary Jacobs – Haudenosaunee Clothing From Coverings to Fashion

2:30 p.m. Samantha Jacobs – Moccasin Making

4 p.m. Cliff Redeye – Leatherwork (Leatherwork class Sunday 12-4 p.m., $25 by reservation)

5:30 p.m. Exhibit Opening Address – Joe Stahlman

Followed by supper featuring Appalachian foods with Native influence (supper by donation, RSVP encouraged)

There will also be a leatherworking class with Cliff Redeye III on Sunday, May 19 from noon to 4 p.m., during which students can make their own carved leather pieces. Reservations are needed for the limited space in the class, which has a $25 materials fee.

Some of the artisans will also demonstrate and sell their work the same weekend at the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center; Cliff Redeye will demonstrate on Friday, May 17, and Samantha and Mary Jacobs will host demonstrations on Sunday, May 19.

AFNHA will host additional events throughout the summer and fall of 2024 as part of their “Indigenous Voices in Appalachia” program. The next event is planned for June 29 and will feature Indigenous dancers.

Admission to the museum and artisan event is free. Please RSVP for supper or leatherwork class to discovery@afnha.org or 304-636-6182. Visit www.afnha.org for more details, or contact afnha@afnha.org. This program was supported with funding from the National Park Foundation, The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History, and West Virginia Commission on the Arts.

The Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area conserves, interprets, and promotes forest heritage to enhance landscapes and communities in the highlands of West Virginia and Maryland. AFNHA works with partners to accomplish this through community development, conservation, celebrating cultural heritage, and creating opportunities for transformational experiences. To learn more, see HYPERLINK “http://www.appalachianforestnha.org/”www.appalachianforestnha.org.