Biography:
Ma ku wum! Heeno a’ha Ennapaf. Felicia is from the Pueblo of Isleta, NM. She is attending the University of Colorado Boulder to earn her baccalaureate degree in Art History, with a minor in Ethnic Studies, and certificate in Native American Indigenous Studies. Felicia is the first in her immediate family to attend a 4-year university and live outside of the Pueblo. She's an outdoor woman who loves to backpack, and also loves spend hours inside Denver art exhibitions. Her passions are for the wonderfully diverse Denver Native American community and encouraging artistic opportunities for youth. After graduating, she will seek to earn her Masters degree in Public Humanities or Art History to provide artistic and professional opportunities for her respective community.
Research:
“Loren Aragon: Fashion Designs Rooted in History, Honoring the Sacred”
My research focuses on contemporary Haak’u (Acoma Pueblo) fashion designer: Loren Aragon. This research draws from primary sources, pueblo pottery, the Denver Art Museum’s archives, published interviews with Aragon, a self-conducted interview with Aragon, and Indigenous theory. My research explores the role of Pueblo pottery design as an Indigenous form of resistance to colonial policies of cultural suppression and how Aragon, through his brand Aconav, continues and supports this tradition. My research discusses how pottery design mitigated cultural suppression during Spanish occupation. I deliberate how Frederic H. Douglas’s Indian Fashion Show, launched in 1942, re-enforced notions of Native American authenticity to American society. I consider the impact of Aragon’s designs, predominantly how his fashion line may support Indigenous women reclaim their identities through honorable representation.
Research Faculty Mentor:
Annette de Stecher, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Art History