Every AISES National Conference is a place where attendees can freely celebrate their culture and express it with individual flair. Conference-goers can be sure that the people they meet at this AISES family gathering appreciate all the colorful styles they encounter – and the legacy behind them. As science and technology writer Fred D’Ignazio remarked to another attendee, “They said when you come to an AISES conference, bring all your Native bling. They weren’t kidding!” Here are some of the many examples of AISES style we saw in Spokane.
Virginia Tech's Mae Hey's eye-catching outfit included a skirt made for her by a very talented friend.
Bree Kowatomari, research poster presenter, attended the conference with a group of students from Kamehameha Schools.
Casey Denham, NASA Langley Research Center, chatted with College and Career Fair attendees.
Gonzaga University's Charity Veaux (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) and Alaina Capoeman took a break from the Networking Suites to strike a pose.
Jonah and Brian Thompson (Oneida) showed father-son style in their ribbon shirts. Brian is a doctor at Upstate Medical University in New York.
Dr. Kathy DeerInWater (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) was ready for the closing banquet. She is vice president of programs and research at AISES.
Amazon's LeAndra Madalena sews her own clothes. She made a special Amazon skirt (center) for the College and Career Fair and a circuit board patterned dress for her induction as a Sequoyah Fellow (right, with James Madalena Jr.).
"I made my circuit board dress to honor myself on this special day for my Sequoyah Fellowship. I was raised watching my grandma sewing her Navajo Skirts and shirts. I was also adopted into the powwow circle where my sewing skills were put to the test making powwow regalia."
— LeAndra Madelena (from the conference app Event Feed)
AT&T's Ray Robertson Jr. (Pueblo of San Felipe), Janine Vaughn (Gitksan), Anthony Falcon (Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas), and Rachel Salinas (Lipan Apache) made a good-looking group.
Douglas McKinnon (Champaign and Aishihik First Nation) represented the University of British Columbia.
Donella Miller (Yakima), fishery science manager for Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commission, sported some impressive beaded accessories.
Lane Bordeaux (Oglala Lakota) from the University of Minnesota, Morris, showed that personal style can be in the details.
This good-looking group (all Diné) was spotted by the river outside the Convention Center. From left to right: Mark Nez and James Sumpter, both from Vibrant Corp., Brown University's Shade Rodriguez, and Nizhoni Tallas, Bree Lameman, and Kaitlyn Haskie, all from University of Arizona.
Edward Martinez (Navajo) from Chinle High School was spotted visiting a bunch of booths at the College and Career Fair.
We bumped into Arizona State undergrad and Miss Indian America 2nd Attendant Tonana Ben (Diné) in the Convention Center between sessions.
The very fashionable CEO of Indigenous Eyecon, LLC Jennifer Atchico (Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma) was en route to the College and Career Fair.
“They said when you come to an AISES conference bring all your Native bling.”
— Fred D’Ignazio, science and technology writer
Richard Jones (Lumbee Tribe), youth development specialist at Public School of Robeson County Indian Education, was spotted wearing this colorful vest and Lumbee Tribe medallion at the Networking Suites.
Ranalda Tsosie (Diné), assistant professor at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, poses with her research poster.
Kai Begay, a student at Northern Arizona University, was spotted networking at the College and Career Fair.
AISES Council of Elders member Norbert Hill wore a t-shirt with one of his quotes printed on it.
US Geological Survey's Bernadette Tsosie with New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology student Taylor Yazzie at the Sequoyah Fellows Breakfast.
We couldn't resist snapping these on our way into the Davenport Hotel lobby — sorry we didn't get your name!
Raytheon's A.D. Cropper posted this pic in the AISES app Event feed.
XBox's Jenn Panattoni, Karuk, sported a leather jacket that had a patch with her tribe's logo.
Former AISES Board Chair Andrew Conseen Duff was all decked out for the Closing Banquet.
Taylor Kingsbery (Chicasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation), AISES Student Success Program Officer, getting ready for the Closing Banquet.
Sam Davis (Navajo) sported a distinctive bolo tie and a personalized belt buckle.
Kathaleen Lopez-Smith posed with her research poster.
AISES Managing Director of Editorial and Special Projects Montoya Whiteman (Cheyenne and Arapaho), posing with Dr. Margaret Kingsland, wore an elegant ribbon-adorned black dress to the Closing Banquet.
AISES Council of Elders member Cecelia Lucero (Pueblo of Acoma) and daughter Shayai Lucero (Pueblo of Acoma and Pueblo of Laguna) wore matching marine snail shell leis called Lei Kūpe'e at the annual Sequoyah Fellows Breakfast. The necklaces were given to them by Dr. Lelemia Irvine (Native Hawaiian).
Navajo Prep student Jordyn Begay (Navajo) placed 2nd in the High School division of the Poster Research Presentation.
UCLA Powwow Princess Camryn Redmond (Diné) strikes a pose.
Turtle Mountain Community College students Trayor Allery, Evan Keplin, Sydnee Bruce, Jaylee Jay, Shaiah Lunday, and Madison Mundy (all Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) got our vote for best coordinated group outfits at the Closing Banquet.