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21 Jul 2015
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Destiny & Free Will

I was contemplating the other day about destiny and free will and I processed both of them in ways that make sense to me in a non conflicting way….. at least from my perspective. My view on this may be different from yours but the way I see it, Destiny is something you are meant to do. It is something that brings you closer to your highest self. It is not a hard set path that you must take but rather a journey to a destination that will bring out the best in you. What you’re destined to do opens your eyes to the most profound epiphanies about yourself, your surroundings, and your purpose. The road to your destiny may be rough but the lessons you learn from your experiences on this path will be life changing and contribute significantly to your personal development.

Like a car getting a green light at every approaching intersection, sometimes the Universe can open the doors and clear the way for you if you chose to follow your destiny. Following your destiny could be as easy as flowing with the Tao, not resisting, but surrendering to the stream of water that will bring you to an ocean of possibilities. In nature, water is a natural element that always flows to the ocean. Through erosion it cuts through rocks and carves valleys through mountains. Not to get all organized religion on you but let me quote Jesus when he said “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.” Water is the only element that moves mountains and takes their rocks and minerals out into the sea. Perhaps an intentional metaphor or just a coincidence but I like to compare it to the Eastern view of flowing with the Tao. The Tao is the force that is most aligned with life, nature, and fulfillment. Water is one of the 5 elements of the Tao and is the most powerful. Water is used as a metaphoric symbol when pursuing your dreams because when you align yourself with that element, you can move mountains. It also instills patience in the student who understands the element because water does not cut through rocks and mountains in one day, it does so over time. Like anything you pursue, as much as we want to get to the next check point as quickly as possible, truly successful people have patience.

On the contrary, pursuing your destiny may be challenging at first, you may not be getting a ton of green lights but rather a bunch of obstacles and hurdles. But within the struggle to live your ideal life and become your greatest version of yourself, the journey itself can be an enlightening process. You will learn things about yourself that you never knew before. People who are strong enough to pick themselves up after failure always become stronger and wiser individuals. Successful internet entrepreneurs that I have listened to have often said “I have a lot of expensive experience”. They have taken big blows to their finances and self esteem before they were able to get to a point where they had unimaginable wealth and freedom. Just because you are pursuing your destiny, does not mean you won’t encounter failure.

Whether the road is rough or easy, the Stars are aligned for you to pursue what you are destined to do. You just got to be up for the challenge…. to become the greatest version of yourself. It’s not about how easy or difficult your destined path may be, it’s about what you will get out of it, and who you will transform into through the process of walking that path.

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How do you know what your destiny is? What are you naturally good at that you enjoy doing? What do you feel a strong need to pursue, create, or make a difference in? What type of activity or place do you feel most at home and at peace with yourself? These are questions you have to ask yourself. In this modern world we have to balance happiness with making a living. Understandably many people don’t pursue what they feel destined to do because of this. Others, going against the odds take a leap of faith because they cannot live in a reality where they aren’t living according to their full potential.

Destiny is not set in stone because we do have free choice. We can pursue another path and be successful at it. But what is success? Is it money? That is what most people have been conditioned to feel success is. What if you wanted to be a painter but thought it was too difficult to make money as a painter. So instead you became a stock broker. You become wealthy but you work long hours, have little time for yourself, your job is stressful, you may have bought a lot of toys yet have minimal amount of time to actually enjoy the fruits of your labor. Is that success? Money and resources are needed to exist in our reality, it’s needed to exist comfortably in our economy, but we must look at success beyond money, the circle is much bigger than that. If you prioritize the lifestyle you want before the money, you will soon realize that there are many other variables of success that fit into this circle. Imagine your ideal lifestyle, then figure out a way to afford it. Most people think of how to make money first, and then find a way to make their ideal lifestyle fit in to it. It should be the other way around.

You can chose a path that is not your destiny and become “successful” at it but will it truly be fulfilling? Will it be something you can’t wait to do everyday? These are the things we must think about. I can’t give you the answer, only you can decide what is best for you, what your definition of success and happiness and fulfillment is subjective to your own perspective. I’m just giving you something to think about. Deviating from your destiny could be a path of disappointment and failure, or it could be disappointment and failures that lead up to financial success. Either way the journey will either be successful or unsuccessful but the main question is, will the path lead you to the highest version of yourself? Will you feel fulfilled? Will you feel like you make a difference? Will your soul feel relevant or will your life feel mundane?
The highest version of yourself… What the hell is that exactly? How does one define the greatest version of themselves?

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This is my subjective interpretation of it. Your highest self is a state of mind where you feel fulfilled mentally, spiritually, emotionally, financially (depending on what your relationship to money is), and emotionally. Your highest self enables you to resiliently stand on your own regardless of what situation you may encounter. So if your highest self is a state of mind, what comes first? Your destiny or the state of mind? The real truth is, it’s the state of mind that will bring you to your highest self, which will then bring you to your destiny. Some people follow their destiny, and on the journey they grow and cultivate the state of mind necessary to pursue what they’re destined to do. But for those who dream the impossible and don’t allow the external world to conflict with the inner selves, they are the ones who have the state of mind that guides them on their destiny. Steve jobs has an endearing perspective of getting what you want out of life. The 3 minute video below will serve you well to watch it.

As I mentioned earlier, you have free choice. You have a choice of how to think and conduct yourself in this lifetime. What you chose to perceive as limitations, rewards, sacrifices, long term vs short term fulfillment, these are all variables that create a state of mind geared toward personal development, self sabotage, or mediocrity. Free will and destiny are almost linked together, a blurred line that connects them both. Funny how something you are meant to do can only be done if you Chose to do it.
Always remember, You Have The Free Will To Pursue Your Destiny.

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Ascension Lifestyle Staff Writer John Baran
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20 Jul 2015
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Healing Practices for Empathic People

Empathic Medicine b6c96a84-4d8c-407c-ae8d-453cd37df06a Many spiritual teachings say that we see the world through fear or through love. The way that we perceive the world greatly impacts our overall point of attraction, how we see ourselves, the experiences we create in our daily lives and our relationships with other people. A major shift happens when we recognize that fear has become a dominant emotion in our lives and how it has been present unconsciously in many of our intimate relationships. I spent most of my life always afraid of being hurt, I felt it was inevitable every time I cared for someone. On a subtle level, I was accustomed to the experience of feeling more emotions than I was comfortable with because of my untrained empathic gifts. Once I recognized this was the nature of my past experiences, I made the conscious choice to shift my mindset to start creating the version of my reality that was more in alignment with my preferences. I understand the nature of reality as such that I cannot expect to deliberately influence the experiences I am creating until I clean up my own vibration. If you have been offering a frequency that is not purely the truth of who you are, you will indeed have attracted many experiences that feel like contrast, often what we label as negative experiences. These are often created by the Ego and other aspects of our psyche such as the Shadow/the unconscious. Yet these experiences lead to more expansion of our true nature and thus they are a blessing. All of our experiences along our path ultimately lead us to a deeper understanding of who we are. Inner being always feels we are perfect and whole. When we experience discord (negative emotions) in our lives it is an indication that we are in the process of focusing on something that is not in alignment with who we truly are. We each are a powerful magnet for attracting any type of experiences that we give our energy to. Most often our point of attraction is based on our beliefs. One of the primary beliefs in my Shadow that was greatly impacting my life as an Empath was the belief that I needed constant “protection”. Basic laws of the quantum universe state that what we focus on, we magnify, thus attract. When we put out the belief that we need protection we actually create more experiences that resonate with the belief that we need to be protected. The Course in Miracles teaches, “in our defenselessness our safety lies.” This type of quantum leap is not necessarily something that can happen instantaneously. Especially if you have momentum from the point of attraction of needing to be protected. You will certainly have amassed great amounts of “proof” that you are not safe and that the world is a hostile place that you need to defend yourself against. At some point we realize that we are the ones who have been doing this all to ourselves. Often we are not willing to face the concept that we create our own reality because we have built up so much self-blame and guilt through our own dualistic perception of good vs bad, right vs wrong, or positive vs negative experiences. Gradually over time with the techniques that I will be sharing you may learn that you can drop this belief altogether. You can begin to feel and then manifest the type of reality where you know without any doubt that you are safe, loved, and always in a state of divine perfection. Truly on the level of Soul this is the case. It’s simply a matter of being where you are and moving ever closer to our true nature. These universal truths apply to everyone. Being an Empath was simply the path that I chose to experience my awakening through. It was through this path that I began to learn about universal law, the nature of reality, as well as the nature of authentic power. Be ever mindful that the ego does not like change. Thus it will take ideas like discovering we are an Empath and try to convince us to stay small, to play it safe, to never be vulnerable, to erect 50 foot walls around our delicate hearts and to stay isolated from the entire world. So as I share this work today please understand that being an Empath is simply an aspect of our personality blueprint. It is an aspect that we can carry from one lifetime to the next, if the lessons associated with it continue to serve us or if we have not mastered them. From the perspective of the higher self, the personality is simply another veil. Yet I share these teachings because relative to wherever we each are on our path, in the understanding of how we construct our reality, tools like these may prove to be the catalyst for awakening deeper clarity and life purpose. Until we have all come to realize the full potential of our power as infinite beings these types of tools and techniques can help make life in the 3rd Density ever more peaceful. That is my intention. bcc64342-5845-4d6b-a933-3e235ee7d1a2 We normally think of our body as simply our physical body. However there is a range of expression of the self that relates to various manifest and unmanifest aspects of our physiology. Different laws of nature dominate various levels of manifestation in our human physiology. All organs, systems, thoughts, emotions, have their own specific energy or vibration. Each organ vibrates at its own energy specific frequency. Each emotion has its own vibration. Therefore what we feel, what we think, what we eat and drink, even what we daydream about, has a direct effect on our health. The human physiology contains physical plane bodies, spiritual plane bodies and the astral body, which is the bridge between the lower and higher bodies. Western medicine treats the body as if the mind and emotions do not have any effect on physical functions. Yet other traditional medicines have an understanding of the interwoveness of each of these aspects within on another. We all create blocks when we see the world as unsafe. We create patterns that involve our entire energy system. These energetic defenses are used to repel, distract, distance, withdrawal, defend, scare off aggressors, gain attention, or show power. Yet unchecked these blocks can lead to illness or disease. Today I will be discussing several of these bodies and offering some basic explanations about how to create optimal health. This is the basis for well-being. The Physical body allows man to express himself in the physical world. Our physical selves are the crystallization of all of the energy fields that are part of each person. Most are aware of the many methods that can be utilized specifically for health of the physical body such as exercise, eating high vibrational food, and being active doing things you love. Because the physical body contains all of the other more subtle bodies the health of each of them directly impacts our physical health. Unhealed patterns and spiritual diseases can create illness and chronic pain in our physical bodies if left unaddressed. The etheric body is made up of energy that permeates the physical body, giving it sustenance, health and vitality. Without it the physical body could not be alive. It is made up of chi energy and forms a structure of meridians all throughout the body. These meridians run through all the major organs and energy centers. All life forms including plants and animals have an etheric body. Clearing out these channels of blocked energy is vital to a healthy spiritual practice. The use of acupuncture, pranayama and practices such as qi-gong and tantric sex help to open up the flow of chi throughout the etheric body. The emotional body is associated with desires, emotions, imagination, and psychic abilities. According to the Vedanta teachings at the base of all emotions is love. As love rises through our bodies it becomes colored with our beliefs and life experiences. What we want to do in order to heal our emotional body is learn about the colors that we create and how we distort emotions. A great practice is to not try to fix it, not judge it but just sit with any of the emotions that come up. What most people do is suppress their emotions. To be in our true power we need to be able to embrace our emotions and find the love that is at the base. I have learned through my work that the basic illness that manifests in most people is a deeply rooted feeling of self-hate. Can we embrace ourselves unconditionally even when we see our own areas of opportunity? Can we forgive ourselves when we don’t show up as our higher self? These are all important questions to consider related to our emotional body. Our mental body allows us the experience of thoughts, thinking, and rational processes. It is divided into two aspects, the lower mind and the higher mind. The mental body is probably the body that needs cleansing the most. We have thousands of thought a day. One of my favorite mantras is, don’t believe everything you think. I learned through meditation that not every thought I have is useful nor are they all in alignment with who I truly am. Our thoughts are extremely dense. If you focus on a thought for long enough it will create feelings in the body. Notice when you examine certain thoughts how your heart rate or your breathing change. The health of the mind deeply impacts the emotions and the physical body. Mental health requires the ability to look outside of preconditioned thought patterns and deliberately chose thoughts that feel good. Learning to train the mind requires being able to let go of habitual thoughts that do not serve you. We do many things out of habit but introspection creates awareness. Journaling, automatic writing, therapy and meditation are the best practices for clearing the mind of clutter. Truly being able to let go of rigid beliefs and learning to be flexible is key to reframing and transforming our life experiences. b3ea1476-7aaf-4241-8501-e78c8a327fa2 A well developed and intact aura can be your best friend. A powerful aura can keep you contained and alignment with your right to exist in safety and wellbeing. There are many stories of people walking out of collapsed buildings completely unharmed. This can be attributed to a strong and powerful aura. The idea of using your aura intentionally is to learn how to create strong boundaries, to be in your authentic self, to be centered and grounded and to be fully in your power. The first thing to do is seal any holes in your aura. Emotional, verbal, mental and energetic experiences that are traumatic will create tears in the auric field. In meditation you can bring your awareness to your auric boundaries and intuitively feel for holes. You can create a shield around yourself by visualizing a ring of prismatic light around you or your loved ones. You can also use your finger to trace a circle or other sacred geometry shapes around yourself. Sunlight can also be used to expand and cleanse the aura. In addition, just like the physical body has vital and non-vital organs, the etheric body also has major and minor chakras. Chakras are subtle spinning energy points, literally wheels or vortexes of energy. They act as energy gateways or energy exchange points. We have several hundred of these energy exchange points within our energetic systems but the most well-known ones are the seven which are etherically connected into the spine and head. The chakras and the aura can become dirty and clogged with disharmonious energies. This energy can be anything that does not serve your highest good. It can be hurt feelings, pain, guilt, anger, depression, negativity, criticism, past attachments, judgment, and lack of forgiveness. Some of these may be your own but you can also pick them up for other people.That is why it is so important to cleanse and release, to forgive yourself and others. Learn to let go of judgement and criticism of others. It must leave your etheric body for you to be healthy and for you to feel lighter. Laughter can be a deeply healing practice. It’s an indication that you are releasing resistance and connecting to the truth of who are you. Try to approach your healing with a light and kind heart. 39119794-e936-4266-b8fe-68063767b22b Spiritual Baths or ritual baths with salts is a non-negotiable for Empaths. This works specifically to benefit many layers of our body and to cleanse to aura. Water itself is a sentient being that we can be programmed and charged with words and intentions. It has a deep purifying power for releasing emotional toxins. The use of herbs, flowers, and essential oils can infuse the water with magical properties, salt can draw out dense energies, and vinegar can be used to neutralize.One of my favorite recipes is: I cup of Epsom salt, Lavender, Yarrow, Chamomile, Eucalyptus, and Rose Petals. You can ask for the blessings of God(dess) to enhance your healing work. Always call on your spirit and Angels guides when doing healing work. They are always available to offer love and support. Archangel Raphael is the supreme healer in the angelic realm and his chief role is to support, heal, and guide in matters involving health. Raphael means “God heals” or “He who heals”. As I was writing this my ipod shuffle began to play a song with the lyrics, “surround me with your love” over and over. I have found that the angels are often not shy about making their presence known. They will use any method that you are open and receptive to communicate with you. Earth medicine such as flowers, herbs, gemstones are powerful allies for Empaths. I recently created an Empath kit that is filled with some of my favorite metaphysical tools that really help Empaths move fast towards their well being. It included a tea blend with Holy Basil, Oatsraw, Rose, and Lemon Balm. I included an herbal infused body oil( pictured above) that helps to soothe then nervous system. Yellow Jasper or Smokey Quartz stones are great tools for the solar plexus and for grounding. Essential oils such as lemongrass, blue tansy, palmarosa, juniper, marjoram and a few others are included in the aromatherapy blend, I also recommend the use of yarrow flower essence as it helps create a natural psychic barrier between your energy and other people. 83f70364-b2fe-4a55-bd66-78f54a927304 One of my favorite tools is the use of Golden Light Meditation. Simply close your eyes and set the intention to just be with yourself in this moment. Remind yourself first and foremost that you are a Spiritual being who has been creating for eons of time, who has chosen to incarnate at this time into this physical body. Imagine Source energy that exists way beyond human comprehension, it is the energy of oneness, it is a part of you. Picture a golden light that is above your head. Inhale the light of Source through the top of our head. Imagine it permeating through every cell of your body. As you exhale release any dense energies that you are holding onto, anything that does not any longer serve you. Continue to repeat this breathing while just giving yourself the space to be, without judgment or criticism. Let the golden light completely surround you and fill you up. Use your imagination and in your mind’s eye visualize your perfect day. An essential practice in truly creating a life that is a reflection of your highest preference is by learning to focus on what you want not what isn’t working for you. The mindset of trying to fix problems, your life or even yourself can simply perpetuate more pain. The implication often that permeates the self help industry is that there is something inherently “wrong” with us. This is ego play at its finest. When you encounter an experience that is not in alignment with your true self you have a few options for you want to engage it. Many people judge the situation as negative or bad and then look for a way to escape the uncomfortable feeling. This can often show up in the form of blame, either directed towards someone else or ourselves. In Buddhist teachings, the idea is that our attachment to specific outcomes is what creates suffering. In life it is unavoidable to experience pain, however how we chose to go through these encounters, if we decide to judge them determines whether or not we suffer. We must learn to practice what is called Maitreya, or Loving Kindness, towards ourselves. One of the central teachings of the Buddha is that there is no one “out there” who will save us; we liberate ourselves by our own efforts. But the human craving for someone to come along, fix our messes and make us happy is powerfully strong. We must learn to there is nothing anyone can offer us that we are not willing to give or do for ourselves. The golden rule is less of a rule and more of a universal principle explaining the ethics of reciprocity. We are all one. Thus how we treat ourselves will be reflected in the way others treat us. How we treat them will be reflected back in how we treat ourselves. And so on and so forth. Truly being able to let go of rigid beliefs and learning to be flexible is key to re-framing and transforming anything that arises in our experience. Often when we put so much mental energy into a situation we end up drawing ourselves more into the story and the drama. How do we know when we are perceiving a situation that we are trying to change in the wrong light? When it doesn’t feel good. This does not mean becoming complacent or not growing. This simply means we focus more on raising our vibration and seeing things from a different point of view. This means we care more about our alignment with Source and All That Is more than anything else. From this place we can truly create change because we have the entire support of the Universe.. If we can see the situation as neutral we can truly shift the trajectory of the outcome. This will be the main focus of next months newsletters. A major shift is happening in the way that we approach healing work. Working with these techniques, tools and practices over time I have learned to get past my fear of being open. I have since been blessed by creating experiences where I feel safe showing up fully as myself and knowing that I will be accepted because I have learned to accept myself unconditionally. Often times we are totally unaware that we have closed down our hearts or built up walls to block out other peoples energy. We may be wondering why we seem to keep attracting people who are not emotionally available or who are not willing to be vulnerable. This can be a powerful reflection of the vibration that we are offering to the universe. When we try to protect ourselves from receiving hurt or unwanted feelings from others we also unconsciously block out receiving love, affection and kindness as well. Being open to receive means letting your guard down. It requires surrendering and trusting that all that will come to you is for your highest good. This receptive mode is what allows you to connect to the part of you that is non-physical that exists in another dimension. This will connect you to creativity, inspiration and insight for how to create the life that is truly who you are. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

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By: Ascension Lifestyle Guest Contributor Hasnaa

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18 Jul 2015
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The Beautiful Pain of Awakening

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The experience of awakening and the process of evolving and ascending to our true divine selves can be a painful and exhausting experience, especially for those of us who consider ourselves empathic and/or highly sensitive. People who tell you otherwise are either very lucky, or perhaps have not gone through the often brutal, yet necessary changes that can occur. For us, and those like us, realizing the truth about the world is not an easy task.

Empaths, and those who share our traits, are highly sensitive and finely tuned mixing boards. We feel absolutely everything that comes near us, almost absorbing emotion like radio waves. We tend to be very good listeners and because of our giving nature, can become “the one” that those in our lives turn to for guidance and support. We not only take on the experiences of those close to us, we tend to take on the experiences of the collective as well. Like so many traits, this can be both a gift and a curse.

Many who are going through spiritual awakenings right now have spent much of their lives feeling different from others. We go through the motions of life and participate in rituals that are deemed “normal” by society, but deep down we feel that we are not like everyone else. We navigate our lives feeling a deep sense that there is something wrong with the world, that there are so many questions that need to be answered in order for all of this to make sense to us, and we search.. for as long as it takes to find those answers.

Many of us begin our spiritual path by researching, reading everything we can get our hands on, writing, painting, making music, participating in yoga and meditation and other forms of expression and connection. We realize that our minds have been trained to behave erratically since we were old enough to develop an ego. This relationship of ego death and rebuilding is tested time and time again throughout our awakening. This death and rebirth process can lead to feelings of loneliness, depression, lack of purpose and isolation. Often everything that had once brought us joy, now offers us nothing in return. People who we used to share our company with either disappear or they no longer connect with us on a soul level. We may even leave our jobs in pursuit of ways to offer our services to the world, even if it means we don’t have regular income anymore.

We are faced with the harsh reality that in order to become happy, we must face ourselves again and again, continually letting go of the thoughts, emotions, people and circumstances that no longer serve us. We are broken down to the foundation and have to rebuild from the ground up, over and over until our souls are impenetrable. This cycle of shedding and re-growing feels raw and painful and can be both emotionally and physically exhausting.

Sometimes we want to give up, but deep down we know that we chose this path. That we are meant to feel the depths of darkness for all of humanity. That the burden we feel, the physical pain in our shoulders and emotional pain in our spirit from carrying the weight of the world, will lead the way to a new world, a new truth.

So we endure.

We become hermits, healers, seekers, artists, heros and heroines, depending on the day. We survive because we know we were chosen to be strong for the sake of humanity. We are special and know that all our hard work and struggle will contribute to collective awakening in due time.

We are all divine, immortal, infinite, and eternal. We all deserve to follow our heart’s longing, to find everlasting love, and to serve our life mission in peace. Our ancestral past makes this process long and challenging. But as challenging as it may be, the path is always worth it. No matter where we are individually, we must all come together and collectively seek the truth that is greater than us. The door to God/The Universe is always open and we must walk through that door time and time again until we fill up the room with light and love. The light at the end of the tunnel is awaiting your return and only you can walk through and bask in its glory.

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16 Jul 2015
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How Native American Fashion Looks Without Appropriation

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Bethany Yellowtail Is Redefining Native American Fashion In A Beautifully Authentic Way

Cultural appropriation is nothing new in fashion — many designers, brands, celebrities and even editors have been known to repurpose traditional garments for the sake of style.

Twenty-six year old fashion designer, Bethany Yellowtail, is about to change that with her fashion line, B.Yellowtail. Her label draws inspiration from “the sacred and re-imagines it for the contemporary woman,” breathing new life into ancestral knowledge and redefining Native-inspired design.

The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising graduate, who is from Crow (Apsáalooke) and Northern Cheyenne Nations in south eastern Montana, first found herself at the centre of a cultural appropriation debate back in February. London label KTZ sent a model down the runway for its fall 2015 fashion show wearing a dress that was strikingly similar to Yellowtail’s design. Now, she’s making waves on her own terms with her latest collection, “The Mighty Few.”

Named after her home district on the Crow nation, the collection is all about honouring the continuity, beauty and resilience of Native Americans.

For inspiration, she created a mood board centered around a black-and-white photo of her great grandfather, “Hawk with the Yellowtail feathers,” and built around his image with more photos of her relatives from the early 1900s.

“The style from that time period was transitioning from traditional wear to apparel influenced by European assimilation,” she told HuffPost Canada Style via e-mail. “I love these images because they speak true to the resiliency of our people. Regardless of the times or circumstances, there were always strong elements of Crow design and craftsmanship, especially in attire.”

This inspiration translated into stunning pieces including a French lace top with elements of elk teeth hand stitched onto it, a colourfully printed women’s warrior ledger scarf and a floral tea skirt with artisanal beadwork.

She chose to feature only indigenous people in the campaign, from the models (Jade Willoughby, Martin Sensmeier) to the photographer (Thosh Collins) to the video editor (D.E. Hyde) and even the poet (Tazbah Rose Chavez), so she could accurately share an authentic story through fashion and art.

“From my own experience, I’ve often found that people’s perceptions of what Native American people are, is very limited and often times constrained to a stereotypical ideal,” she explained. “The media, film, and especially [individuals] in fashion perpetuate those ideas by creating generic and romanticized versions of our ancestors.”

“I want the people who view my work to see the faces, hear the voices of our people, and participate in an authentic story that honours our diverse nations,” she continued. “My hopes are that the campaign showcases a variety of the immense talent and diversity that exists within our native nations.”

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And while she does draw inspiration from Native Americans, B.Yellowtail is for people from all walks of life. The line takes pride in storytelling through fashion in hopes of authentically representing its nations, while sharing its culture and creative an inclusive space.

“For me, my mission is not about trying to combat cultural appropriation,” Bethany explained. “I simply want to carve out a space where an authentic voice and an authentic representation of Native America exists and thrives. If that means we’re combating cultural appropriation while just being true to ourselves, then that’s a bonus.”

You can see more of Bethany’s work on her website, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About the Author:
Madelyn Chung
image-650x487Madelyn Chung is the editor of StyleList Canada, and a self-professed shopaholic and fashion/beauty/pop culture junkie. A graduate of Ryerson University’s School of Journalism, Madelyn’s past stints include Lifestyle Editor at MSN.ca and Associate Editor of Digital Marketing at Rogers Digital Media. In her spare time, you can find Madelyn live-tweeting during TV shows, jamming on the piano and ukelele, and indulging in some good eats around the city.


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