Sandra Hale Schulman
ICT
The latest: New indigenous designers, 1980s historical fiction, screen gems
STYLE: New designs from indigenous duo
Tapping indigenous designers for Ralph Lauren’s Artist in Residence program, their design team collaborated with wife-and-husband duo Jocy and Trae Little Sky, Oceti Sakowin and founders of the clothing brand TÓPA.
Jocy and Trae use modern silhouettes with geometric Indigenous design elements that vibrate, reflecting the color and culture of the Northern Plains. In this first collaboration with an Indigenous-led brand after working with individual weavers and designers, the partnership honors the Northern Plains heritage of Jocy and Trae and carries forward the stories and symbols that shape their identity.
“Topa means four,” Trae Little Sky says. “It is a significant number because it represents the four seasons, the four stages of life and the dimensions of being. The design itself is a star. It ties into our belief of where we came from. The Wakate, the star people. My Lakota name is Iron Hop. My English name is Trey Little Sky.”
The shape and structure of the tepee reflect a sense of symmetry and stands for the above and below. The symmetry is often found in their design work. The colors black, red, yellow and white represent the four directions.
“These are some of the many elements that inspire what we create,” he says.
The Topa artist and residents collaboration with Polo Ralph Lauren is giving them a platform to bring a fresh representation of the Northern Plains culture. Over time, the designs continue to honor these traditions passed down by ancestors.
The collection has painted and beaded jackets in both cloth and leather, woven unisex sweaters in black, white and red, pants with geometric designs down the sides, and a camp blanket.
“There is a balance to the universe and we portray this balance in our work. It is found in our beating, quilling and our weaving. The regalia that we wear reflects where we come from. In the beginning, our regalia was made from the land, the roots, the berries, the flowers, colored pigment from the earth” he says.
BOOKS: An AIM love story in LA
In an unusual historical fiction novel, “Native Brush Strokes” takes readers into a passionate love affair, a shocking betrayal and a Native woman’s journey through art, identity and resilience set in Los Angeles in 1982.
Cordi Lenoir, a struggling artist, is looking for some fun and maybe a fresh start at the powwow near Santa Monica. She meets a reckless, magnetic Native guy connected to the American Indian Movement who pulls her into a whirlwind romance, until a radical twist shatters everything Cordi thought she knew.
“Native Brush Strokes” blends romance, drama and Native American history into one narrative that name drops John Trudell, Floyd Westerman and Dennis Banks. Fans of Tommy Orange, Louise Erdrich and Ann Patchett will connect with this story.
Surprisingly, the author, Antoinette Godin, is a first-time novelist and enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, who has already practiced tribal law for over three decades. A UCLA graduate in law, political science with a minor in journalism, she has reached back into the days of her youth and the Age of Aquarius to braid all the threads together.
At a reading during the Twentynine Palms Book Festival in November, she began by playing the hand drum and singing to the rapt audience. On the website for the book, she includes a playlist of music from the book’s time period.
Godin is listed in Who’s Who in America and Women of Influence (2021), Godin lives in Washington State and her commitment to social justice extends to organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and Environmental Defense Fund.
FILM: Festival winners and screenings
End of year film news: “Courage,” the short film by Eric Hernandez that recreates his journey to becoming a champion hoop dancer, has been sweeping the film fest circuit – he’s won 12 of them so far – is qualified for the Oscars “Best Live Action Short” category, and will be available to Stream on FNX starting Dec. 3.
At the recent Red Nation Film Festival, the winners included:
Best Picture: “Nika & Madison,” starring Katelyn Cursio, Paula Devonshire, Kaniehtiio Horn, Ellyn Jade, Tyler Levine and Jennifer Podemski, and Eva Thomas, producer.
Outstanding Lead Performance by an Actress: Ellyn Jade for “Nika & Madison”
Best Original Screenplay: Michael McGowan and Eva Thomas for “Nika & Madison”
Best Doc Short: A tie for “Red Girl Rising” and “A Wilderness Act”
Best Animated Short: “The Forgotten Soles”
Best Documentary Feature: “YANUNI”
Best Live Action: “Courage”
Best Episodic and Television Series: “Dark Winds” – AMC Networks
“Boil Alert,” produced by Jessica Matten of “Dark Winds,” will be out in theaters in January 2026 in the US and Canada. Co-producer, director and musician is Steve Salas, Apache, and co-director and writer is James Burns. The powerful film will play in theaters through April before heading to VOD/BLU-RAY/DVD in mid-May.
The film is a docudrama that examines different Native American reservations and the water and environmental issues they face. Residents are increasingly ill due to decades without clean water and recycling plants and resources. The film interlaces Native American folklore in vignettes throughout to provide context.
The film screened at Toronto International Film Festival (2024), Calgary Film Festival (2024), and Sydney International Film Festival (2025).