Bethany Yellowtail facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bethany Yellowtail
Born	{1989 (age 35–36) Montana, United States

Bethany Yellowtail (born 1989) is a Native American fashion designer. She lives in Los Angeles, California. Bethany is famous for her designs that show her Indigenous heritage. She is a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. She also has family ties to the Crow Tribe of Montana. Bethany is the main designer and CEO of her own fashion company, B.Yellowtail.

Bethany Yellowtail's Early Life and Education

Bethany Yellowtail was born in 1989 in Wyola. This is a small town in Montana. She grew up on the Crow Reservation. She lived there with her parents and four brothers and sisters. Bethany is a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

Her family members were always involved in creating Indigenous art. Bethany first became interested in making jewelry. She started by selling beaded earrings. Her aunts and grandmothers taught her how to sew. This is where her passion for fashion began.

Bethany went to Tongue River schools in Ranchester, Wyoming. This was about 23 miles from her family's ranch. She finished high school in 2007. After that, she studied fashion at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

Bethany Yellowtail's Fashion Career

Bethany Yellowtail started her fashion career working for big clothing brands. She noticed that these brands often used Native American designs without permission. This is called cultural appropriation. Bethany worked for companies like the BCBG Max Azria Group. She also made patterns for other clothing lines.

Her experiences made her want to create her own company. In 2015, she started B.Yellowtail. Her goal was to show Native American culture accurately and respectfully.

In 2015, Bethany was chosen as a First Peoples Fund Artist. This program helps Native artists grow their businesses. As a Native designer, Bethany works to stop cultural appropriation in fashion. PBS Indie Lens Storycast featured B.Yellowtail in a series of short films. The series was called "alter-NATIVE."

In 2022, Bethany was recognized by Visa's "She's Next in Fashion" program. She also received an award at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards.

Supporting Women and Indigenous Communities

Bethany Yellowtail is a strong supporter of women's rights. For the 2017 Women's March in Washington D.C., she worked with artist John Isaiah Pepion. They created a special scarf. The scarf showed Native American women wearing war bonnets.

In Crow culture, women usually do not wear full headdresses. However, they can for a special event called the Shoshone War Bonnet Dance. This is a very high honor for Crow women. Bethany chose this design to show female strength and respect. Many Indigenous women wore the scarf at the Women's March. They were part of the Indigenous Women Rise group.

Bethany also helps Indigenous girls through her Rez Girl Mentorship Fund. She works with the Native Wellness Institute on this program. It helps young Indigenous girls who have been affected by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) crisis. The fund aims to mentor girls. It helps them believe in their own abilities and potential.

Bethany also supports other Native American artists and designers. She includes their work in The B.Yellowtail Collective. This is part of her effort to help other Native Americans start their own businesses.

Bethany Yellowtail's Personal Journey

Bethany Yellowtail is a member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation. Her family also comes from the Mighty Few District of the Crow Nation in Montana. She moved to Los Angeles to start her company.

Bethany has loved fashion since she was young. Her aunt and grandmother taught her how to sew and do beadwork on the reservation. She started by making powwow shawls for her family. She improved her skills by making clothes in high school. Bethany is thankful for this creative outlet. She remembers that some people judged her when she wanted to turn her hobby into a career.

Bethany Yellowtail's Gallery Work

Besides her fashion labels, Bethany Yellowtail has also shown her work in art galleries. The Portland Art Museum featured her in an artist spotlight in June 2016. This spotlight talked about her heritage. It also discussed what inspires her fashion designs.

The Field Museum in Chicago also hosted Bethany. Her designs were part of an exhibit called “Apsáalooke Women and Warriors.” This exhibit showed historical and modern pieces from different generations and tribes.

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  Bethany Yellowtail