Native Life
Southwest Indian Foundation art benefits the needy
This Wild Horses pottery created by Navajo artist Roxanne Gleason is a fine example of the Native artwork available from the Southwest Indian Foundation (SWIF). Created by the Native peoples of the Southwest, including the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Laguna, Acoma, and Apache tribes, the artwork and goods sold by the non-profit charitable organization benefit the unemployed artists creating the work, Native Americans living in poverty, and SWIF programs. "For more than 40 years SWIF has been a beacon of hope to the remote, indigenous peoples of the Southwest," says the foundation's CEO Bill McCarthy. "In an area with roughly 50 percent unemployment and where 60 percent of the children live under the poverty level, SWIF provides housing, emergency assistance, scholarships, emergency healthcare, summer camps for children, and much-needed employment opportunities." Items sold by the foundation include authentic handcrafted Native American jewelry, fashion, art, home décor, books and media, and gifts, which are available through the SWIF crafts catalog. According to McCarthy, "You can purchase an authentic item, preserve a culture, and do an act of charity at the same time."
— Kathleen Fritsche
• Info: www.southwestindian.com, 800-504-2723
Issue: September 2009
