Both Wallis and Pearlman work in tribal economic development - Wallis as the business services manager for Nixyaawii Community Financial Services on the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Pearlman as the director of business development at the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indian Economic Development Corp. Those plans solidified after he met Casey Pearlman. “I’ve always envisioned there being some type of platform that we can have for those creatives to be able to shine … more than just, ‘Oh, we just did it for a variety show in a backyard’ situation.” “I’ve always felt kind of sad that they passed away (with) people not really knowing their work and their dedication to their craft,” he said. Some of those family members died before they could be recognized for their talents, he said. Wallis said he still has VHS tapes showing the clothing made at these family gatherings, “department store” quality in his eyes. He remembered that his family often got together to make clothes for variety shows at their church. The first inklings for the fashion show came when Jacob Wallis was youngĪ member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation with Yakama and Niimiipuu heritage, Wallis was given the Native name Watáy - summer ermine - by his grandmother.

The brainchild of two Indigenous economic development officials, the fashion show was meant to spotlight Native designers who were looking to jump from the realm of hobbyist to professional fashion, their work incorporating the traditional artisanry of their tribes with more contemporary designs.Īs a part of the larger Northwest Native Economic Summit, the fashion show was meant to be a part of a growing movement to support Native-owned small businesses.Īnd on Wednesday, that movement walked the catwalk. The 2023 Northwest Native Fashion Show on the Umatilla Indian Reservation had begun.

Not long after, the model shed her veil to reveal a bright yellow two-piece outfit adorned with tribal jewelry. “We must assess our intention for mindful creation and destruction, for we are at the hands of both,” the narrator said. A figure veiled in black walked the catwalk as a narrator talked about the people’s connection to the land and the work to preserve it for the next seven generations. Thunder boomed over the sound system as the smoke machines whirred to life. The Wednesday night show hadn’t officially started, but the crowd was already starting to giggle in anticipation as the lights lowered at the event center at the Wildhorse Resort and Casino.

Yakima to wildhorse casino