Nike internship aims to empower Indigenous students
By Hannah Bissett
A tribal arts college in Santa Fe, New Mexico is partnering with Nike, a company known for its footwear and apparel.
It’s a collaboration the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) calls unprecedented, in which two students from the Institute have been chosen to intern for Nike this summer.
Felipe Colón recently became provost for the Institute and has spent more than a decade working to create commercial opportunities for its students. The intern program is designed to bring students into global conversations with large, international, brand-name companies, not just for the benefit of the students, but also for business world.
“We oftentimes represent a perspective that is becoming increasingly relevant to contemporary existence,” Colón said. “We bring our values. We bring our understandings of the world into an industry, who can really grow from that.”
Beyond being influencers, Colón says the Institute wants to provide opportunities for its students to grow their careers and become self-sustaining, not just for their families but also their communities.
And in the process, he says it’s important that they not negate their indigeneity, and instead, see it as an asset.
“The students are really excited to embrace, to be the forefront, to be the leader,” said Colón, who believes the apprenticeships are also an opportunity for them to show the world what Indigenous people can do and their power to shape the future.
The Institute of American Indian Arts is one of 36 tribal colleges nationwide. In its 60-year history, the college has focused on giving students a chance to work in fields they hope to pursue.
The long-term goal of the partnership is to give students a variety of options for internships at Nike’s headquarters in Portland, Oregon -- some that last a few months, others for a year.
The hope is the program will give students a chance to grow in their artistry but also expose the world to contemporary Indigenous art. In August, interns chosen to work under Nike will have a chance to show their work.
Two students from the Institute were awarded summer internships in Nike’s design teams:
- Jennifer Benally (Oneida Nation and Diné)
- Daveishena Redhouse (Navajo Nation)
Nike says it believes these internships will help to fuel innovation.
