Quannah Chasinghorse: Model, Activist, Land Protector
COURTESY OF ELLE
At just 19 years old, Quannah Chasinghorse is modeling at fashion weeks around the world and shooting cover campaigns for the biggest fashion magazines. Not only does she so gracefully and beautifully model, but she is an activist and champion for Indigenous people. Her wisdom, her passion, and her pride for her culture has driven her to the top of her field.
Quannah has always been fascinated with the world of fashion. Growing up, she loved to flip through fashion magazines and fully immerse herself in images of beautiful women in beautiful clothes. While fashion brought her joy, there was one problem that she noticed: no one represented in these magazines and on runways looked like her. Indigenous models have been underserved and overlooked despite their talent and their unique beauty. As inclusivity and diversity are being pushed throughout the fashion industry, it has allowed today’s youth to see more people that look like them.
COURTESY OF ELLE
Embracing your own identity and culture is a beautiful thing, and Quannah Chasinghorse truly embraces her own identity which shows through in her work. The idea that a model must be a blank canvas is now a thing of the past. Quannah proudly shows off her Yidįįłtoo, which are traditional face tattoos that her mother did for her. The tattoos represent being able to reclaim indigenous traditions. Her Hän Gwich’in and Sicangu Oglala Lakota heritage and being surrounded by strong women throughout her life have shaped her identity as an advocate, activist, model, and all around amazing individual. Quannah is also a fourth generation land protector for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is an area that is threatened by fossil fuel extraction. Natives have long been advocates for the earth and the environment, and Quannah is carrying on this tradition through her climate change activism. She loves and honors the land; and she wants to educate others that communities are currently suffering from effects due to climate change. In her home state of Alaska, there are people that are negatively impacted by ice melt; she has first hand knowledge of what climate change is doing to the earth. From protests on Capitol Hill to showcasing her traditional tattoos on the runway, Chasinghorse is bringing indigenous peoples and their land into the spotlight.
COURTESY OF ELLE
Quannah Chasinghorse and her mother, Jody Potts-Joseph
In an interview with Elle, Quannah described a defining moment in her life that occurred when she was in just seventh grade. She wanted her school to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day rather than Columbus Day; she brought along an elder from her community and went to a school board meeting. She stood up for her values and succeeded. On the newly celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day, she and the other Native students wore their moccasins and other traditional clothing. In the Elle interview she stated, “I’ve never been that proud of being Native in my life,” and “I was so proud to be who I was.” Chasinghorse has always pushed forward and fought for herself and her people. She has a great sense of pride in her roots which shines through in her work.
COURTESY OF ELLE
Quannah does not shy away from showing off her heritage. Instead of trying to “fit in” or striving to match traditional Western beauty standards, Chasinghorse is confident and proud to be a beautiful indigenous woman. She uses her platform in the fashion industry to educate others and share her culture with the world. She does so by incorporating indigenous designers into her personal wardrobe as well as including her own cultural jewelry into her work and photoshoots.
COURTESY OF ELLE
Her modeling work has taken her around the world. She was launched into the fashion world in a 2020 Calvin Klein campaign that aimed to encourage voting. Eventually she was signed to the leading modeling agency, IMG Models. Since then she has taken the runway for Prabal Gurung, Chloe, Gabriela Hearst, and she became the first indigenous woman to walk for Chanel–a moment she will never forget. At the beginning of 2022, Chasinghorse modeled alongside Rihanna for Savage x Fenty’s Valentine’s collection. The young model has already accomplished a great deal as she has risen through the industry, and she will continue to stand up and stand out in order to be the indigenous representation the fashion industry needs.
