Fashioning identity: model shares Alaska Native heritage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – From Calvin Klein campaigns to sporting Gucci and Chloe designs on the runways, 20-year-old Quannah Chasinghorse has been highlighting her Alaska Native heritage on journal spreads and on catwalks all over the world.

Chasinghorse grew up in a small rural village in Alaska, the place her mother taught her to reside off the land. Yearly her household would go fishing, looking, and canine mushing. Chasinghorse stated when she was rising up she was at all times posing in every single place, dreaming of sometime being a mannequin.

After being found for her work as an activist, that modeling dream shortly grew to become a actuality. Since 2020 Chasinghorse has been residing out her dream working as a mannequin.

Chasinghorse’s documentary “Stroll Two Worlds” was showcased on the First Alaskans Institute 2022 Alaska Native Elders and Youth convention. In it, Chasinghorse discusses her struggles together with her id rising up and never becoming into the concept of western magnificence. She needed to get a nostril job as a toddler to suit a typical that she felt represented magnificence.

Now within the modeling business, Chasinghorse stated that she will be able to nonetheless discover herself struggling together with her self-identity. Chasinghorse stated she is usually the one Alaska Native and Native American within the room.

“After I’m at work, I’m not simply doing my job. I would like not solely to attach, however I need to educate folks. It’s not my obligation to show folks about who we’re or something. I’m pleased with who we’re. I would like folks to know who we’re,” Chasinghorse stated.

Whereas modeling, Chasinghorse works to maintain her Alaska Native heritage alive. She does this by not slicing her hair and never masking up her conventional Alaska Native tattoos. She says she nonetheless struggles with accepting her life-style as a mannequin and preserving her Alaska Native roots. Chasinghorse stated that it’s essential for folks to know that it’s okay to show to their ancestors to ask for steering.

“I’m continually smudging myself down asking for therapeutic, prayers, asking for you recognize, steering every time I would like it. That’s one factor I feel we neglect. Its okay to ask our ancestors for steering,” Chasinghorse stated.

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