Hannah Traore Gallery is pleased to present Ndaki-ña, “Original” in Mixteco Bajo. The first all-Indigenous jewelry exhibition during New York City Jewelry Week, the presentation is curated by Omar Monroy (Ña’ha Savi) and features 20 Indigenous jewelry designers from Abya Yala to Turtle Island, South to North America.
For decades Indigenous jewelry makers have been overlooked for their preservation of cultural techniques and innovation in jewelry and adornment. This exhibition was created to increase visibility and to push against the trope that Native jewelry is “a thing of the past”, which makes it easier for non-Native people to “discover” their unique styles and motifs, diluting them into terms like “southwestern,” “boho,” “tribal,” and “mesoamerican.”
20 designers, 2 continents, all under one roof, paying homage to the way our ancestors used to migrate and travel across these lands without borders!
We acknowledge that this exhibition is taking place on Lenapehoking, the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the Lenape (Munsee and Unami) peoples, who have been stewards of these lands long before this city was founded. We also recognize that this land has been historically inhabited and used by other Indigenous peoples, including the Wecquaesgeek, Wappinger, Siwanoy, and other Munsee-speaking bands.
We pay respect to past, present, and future generations of these Native Nations, and honor the enduring relationships they maintain with this land.
Curated by Omar Monroy
Omar Monroy is an award-winning trans artist of Ñuu’ Savi descent and the creator behind El Techichi, a jewelry practice that honors their heritage through bold, gender-neutral adornment. Blending traditional Ñuu Savi artistry with contemporary materials, Omar draws inspiration from Mexico’s rich ecosystems and channels it through a distinctive NYC lens. They served as the jewelry director for the inaugural New York Indigenous Fashion Week hosted by Relative Arts.
Born in Iztapalapa and raised in their native land Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca. Omar was brought to Kizh land (Ontario, California) in 1999. El Techichi is a love letter to their childhood, their femme inspirations, and to Rue the Chihuahua, whose spirit sparked this creative journey. Their work has been featured in Vogue, Fashionista, Forbes, and worn by icon Lily Gladstone at the Gotham Awards and Mali Obomsawin at the 2025 Academy Awards
Hannah Traore Gallery is pleased to present Ndaki-ña, “Original” in Mixteco Bajo. The first all-Indigenous jewelry exhibition during New York City Jewelry Week, the presentation is curated by Omar Monroy (Ña’ha Savi) and features 20 Indigenous jewelry designers from Abya Yala to Turtle Island, South to North America.
For decades Indigenous jewelry makers have been overlooked for their preservation of cultural techniques and innovation in jewelry and adornment. This exhibition was created to increase visibility and to push against the trope that Native jewelry is “a thing of the past”, which makes it easier for non-Native people to “discover” their unique styles and motifs, diluting them into terms like “southwestern,” “boho,” “tribal,” and “mesoamerican.”
20 designers, 2 continents, all under one roof, paying homage to the way our ancestors used to migrate and travel across these lands without borders!
We acknowledge that this exhibition is taking place on Lenapehoking, the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the Lenape (Munsee and Unami) peoples, who have been stewards of these lands long before this city was founded. We also recognize that this land has been historically inhabited and used by other Indigenous peoples, including the Wecquaesgeek, Wappinger, Siwanoy, and other Munsee-speaking bands.
We pay respect to past, present, and future generations of these Native Nations, and honor the enduring relationships they maintain with this land.
Curated by Omar Monroy
Omar Monroy is an award-winning trans artist of Ñuu’ Savi descent and the creator behind El Techichi, a jewelry practice that honors their heritage through bold, gender-neutral adornment. Blending traditional Ñuu Savi artistry with contemporary materials, Omar draws inspiration from Mexico’s rich ecosystems and channels it through a distinctive NYC lens. They served as the jewelry director for the inaugural New York Indigenous Fashion Week hosted by Relative Arts.
Born in Iztapalapa and raised in their native land Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca. Omar was brought to Kizh land (Ontario, California) in 1999. El Techichi is a love letter to their childhood, their femme inspirations, and to Rue the Chihuahua, whose spirit sparked this creative journey. Their work has been featured in Vogue, Fashionista, Forbes, and worn by icon Lily Gladstone at the Gotham Awards and Mali Obomsawin at the 2025 Academy Awards
