The Nisga鈥檃 Museum鈥檚 first-of-its-kind fashion show at Gitlax瘫t鈥檃amiks in the Nass Valley of northern B.C. wowed the audience with a dramatic blend of modern and traditional First Nations designs. Nov. 26 was the only available date for the venue and it so happened to also be Indigenous fashion week in Vancouver.

Models sported a striking blend of colourful and more sombre tones that reflected the theme of the evening, 鈥渇rom darkness to light鈥� based on a Nisga鈥檃 story of how the people found light at the beginning of time.

Renowned Nisga鈥檃 designer Lillian Tait, whose work inspired the show, recounted the story as told to her by her grandfather when she was young girl.

鈥淚n the beginning our people were living in darkness. They were living in longhouses and when they got together they got together in the darkness. They were singing their songs by the fire and this chief was praying and he was crying, talking to the Creator.

鈥淲hile he was praying he cried and the people were crying with him. After a while they got up and then the lights were starting to come, and they were celebrating and then it became really bright.鈥�

The story is a part of Tait鈥檚 rich knowledge of Nisga鈥檃 culture that inspires her work, that she鈥檚 using to light a fire in the next generations. 鈥淚 was young once too, and I wanted to know who I was,鈥� she said.

The runway show included Tait鈥檚 鈥楩rom Darkness to Light鈥� collection, the 鈥楽acred Connections鈥� collection by Gitxan and Nisga鈥檃 designer Jaimie Davis and the 鈥楪wiis Halayt鈥� collection by Nisga鈥檃 designer Vanessa Morgan.

Theresa Schober, who is director of the Nisga鈥檃 Museum, was deeply moved at being able to raise awareness of local talent and to offer a first runway experience to Pearl Morrison, who dreams of a career in fashion.

In Morrison鈥檚 own words, she is 鈥渋nterested in modeling and fashion design because nothing is off limits, you can let your creativity flow.鈥�

Schober and her team wanted to showcase designers with deep cultural ties, expressed through fashion and regalia, on a larger stage. Schober said they might try to connect the event with that larger Indigenous fashion week platform in Vancouver in future years.

鈥淚t was wonderful to see the youth and designers be so supported by their community. The camaraderie after we all came off the runway was a highlight of my time working for the Nisga鈥檃 Museum.鈥�

Lillian Tait collaborated on the show with her husband, Nisga鈥檃 master carver Alver Tait, a hereditary chief of the Eagle-Beaver Clan, who explained how the darkness to light theme holds significance today.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been through so much with the residential schools. That was what you would call darkness, also. We were in it for a long time. That to us was darkness.

鈥淔inally we started to see light. Now we see light. We can own our own homes and we don鈥檛 have to answer to anybody. It鈥檚 a real new beginning. It鈥檚 an awakening.鈥�

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