Indigenous artists from across the country and beyond will gather in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this weekend for one of the largest and longest-running Native art markets in the country. The Southwestern Association of Indian Arts, or SWAIA, is bringing its annual Santa Fe Indian Market back to the city’s historic Plaza for its 104th year.
Among those returning this year is designer Jamie Okuma, one of the featured artists for the SWAIA Gala and Live Auction fashion runway. Okuma has a long history with the Indian Market.
“I did my first market at 18 years old, and the only year I ever missed was over COVID,” Okuma said. “I am incredibly grateful and thankful that after 104 years, this event just gotten bigger.”
Okuma is Luiseño, Shoshone-Bannock, Wailaki and Okinawan. And she is the first Native American designer to be inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and was named a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.
Okuma said she values being able to move between mainstream fashion and Native-centered spaces like Indian Market.
“I love being in both worlds, and they’re both incredibly different,” she said. “Being able to navigate in between them, I feel, kind of seamlessly, is really cool.”
The weekend kicks off Friday with SWAIA’s Best of Show, giving visitors a first look at award-winning pieces. Then on Saturday morning, the Indian Art Market officially opens and on Sunday, the weekend wraps up with the Native Fashion Show.
