Steve Tamayo Presents "Identity by Design of Women’s Clothing of the Plains"

Dresses are more than simple articles of clothing for Native women – they are aesthetic expressions of culture and identity.  Embodying messages about the life of the wearer, dresses offer Native women the opportunity to blend artistic tradition and bold innovation while preparing themselves, their families, and their communities to partake in the “Dance of life.” 

Presenter Steve Tamayo draws upon his family history as a member of the Sicangu Lakota tribe to share how Native American attire has evolved over the last few hundred years because of eastern influences. His fine arts education (BFA from Singe Gleska University), along with his cultural upbringing, have shaped him as an artist, historian, storyteller and dancer.