Quannah’s connection: Model and activist makes a different sort of appearance at Elders and Youth Conference

Quannah Chasinghorse spoke to a packed ballroom at the First Alaskans Institute Elders and Youth Conference in Anchorage on Tuesday. Chasinghorse, an internationally-recognized fashion model and an Indigenous rights and climate activist, spoke about the healing power of cultural traditions, family connections and community celebrations.

“Coming here and being with all of you is what gives me the strength to go and do what I do,” she said in her 40-minute keynote address.

Chasinghorse, who identifies her roots as from the Han Gwich’in of Eagle Village, Alaska, and Sicangu/Oglala Lakota Tribes of South Dakota, lives in Los Angeles. During her appearance in Anchorage, she also greeted a long line of fans and well-wishers, posing for photos, hugging and signing autographs until everyone who wanted the chance had filed through. After it was over, the Daily News sat down with Chasinghorse to talk about how this event differed from others in her career and what message she carries as she works outside Alaska.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Anchorage Daily News: Are you exhausted after a couple hours of (talking and greeting)?

Chasinghorse: A little bit. But honestly, I think as much as it’s a lot of interaction and I’m the type of person that gets easily overwhelmed, I also just try to remind myself that … all of these people are just coming here with love and good intention and (are) excited to see me. And so I think I just really embrace it … It’s worth it, because I get so much out of it. Probably way more than what they get out of it.

ADN: I’m just curious how an appearance at an event like this is so different from appearances you do elsewhere.

Chasinghorse: Really, I just have to navigate this world so differently, because here, everyone knows. Everyone gets it. Everyone just comes to celebrate each other. But when I go out and go to events and different events for work, it’s like I have to explain a lot of things. People have so many questions. It’s a lot of educating, honestly. A lot of what I do is educating people on our people and our culture and our ways of life. Honestly, those events are a lot more taxing and a lot more exhausting than these events.

Yet (here) I get a lot more interaction, social interaction. I get all these people wanting to meet me. And you’d think that I’d get tired from it, but I get more tired when I have to sit at a table with people that don’t understand or don’t know or don’t get it, and have to explain. I feel like a teacher half the time … It’s just sharing that knowledge and trying to make people understand who we are, and not just the stereotypes of Native American people or Alaska Native people. Kind of just reclaiming that image.

ADN: Part of what you talked about on stage is the assumption you encounter that Indigenous people are suffering and traumatized and how you want to counter that in some way. Can you talk a little more about how you’ve encountered that and what you try to do?

Chasinghorse: I think it’s as simple as truly addressing cultural appropriation and moving away from that. As a model, I work with brands all the time. Unfortunately, they may not be the most sustainable, but I’m able to get them to a better place. They may be culturally appropriating, and I get them to that place where I’m like, “Hey, you’re doing something wrong. Let’s fix it and let’s do better and you can collaborate with Native people.” I feel like it truly is just educating. I’m always thankful for that opportunity, because people outside of our communities really don’t understand. And I think it’s as simple as showing the world that these are our (works of) art and imagery. And that’s one part that we reclaimed.

Another part is — what film, film industry and some of the industries have portrayed Native people to be is those harmful stereotypes. That we’re traumatized. That we’re savages. That we’re crazy. We’re this or that. But really, we’re a strong people, with so much love and joy and laughter and passion and compassion for one another…

That show “Reservation Dogs” is a great example of reclaiming our images and stomping out those stereotypes and showing people, hey, yes, we do go through hardships. That is a reality of Indigenous people. But we’re happy. We’re funny. We’re joyful …There’s so much beauty in community, and that’s what we’ve been reclaiming.

(Chasinghorse acted in one episode of Reservation Dogs.)

ADN: When you look at some of these young folks (at Elders and Youth Conference), some a lot younger than you even, who come through and wait in line to take a picture with you, what do you think about when you see them?

Chasinghorse: Oh, man, I get so happy and excited, just because a lot of these young people, a lot of them feel alone. I had a lot of them come up to me and say that what I said or some of the things that I said really resonated with them. And that they’re reconnecting with their culture and I inspired them to reconnect, I inspire them to want to learn more (and) show up for their community. I’ve had people share with me some of their healing journey and how things that I’ve said, the way that I show up for our people, has shown them that they’re not alone, that we’re in this together …

It’s so nice to be back here with my community, seeing all these young girls painting their facial markings, or even already have them tattooed, and then sharing with me that I inspired that. Them reclaiming their culture and finding liberation in that, it’s powerful.