Haaland—who is a Laguna Pueblo congresswoman and the former interior secretary under Joe Biden’s administration—made an appearance in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She wore a pair of titanium dragonfly earrings by Pat Pruitt, a Laguna and Chiricahua Apache artist based in the state. Along with spotlighting one of the Native community’s most well-known artists, her choice to wear dragonfly earrings was also symbolic: They represented taking flight, change, and transformation.
The dragonfly earrings are one of Pruitt’s signature pieces, though he also specializes in sleek cuffs and necklaces, too. “The first version of the dragonfly earrings debuted in 2015, heavily influenced by the work of fashion designer Pilar Agoyo (Ohkay Owingeh/Cochiti/Kewa Pueblos) and my mentor, Greg Lewis (Laguna Pueblo),” says Pruitt of Haaland’s earrings. “The design brought together the traditional double-cross motif Greg taught me and the bold, black dragonfly imagery Pilar was incorporating into her work at the time. Titanium has since become my material of choice, allowing me to produce the earrings in a variety of colors.”
Flanagan wears dentalium shell earrings.
Photo: Getty Images
Meanwhile, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Flanagan—who is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe—celebrated her win by speaking to the crowd at an election night watch party. The politician chose to wear a long, dangly pair of dentalium shell earrings, paired with a burgundy suit. Similar to Haaland, Flanagan’s earrings were an intentional homage to celebrating Indigenous craft: Dentalium shells hold great meaning and importance within the Native community.
The long, tubular shells—derived from dentalium, a type of marine mollusk—resemble tusks due to their curved shape and milky color, and they are considered just as precious as diamonds (if not more), because they are becoming increasingly difficult to find. The use of dentalium in Indigenous culture, as a form of adornment, predates European colonization; Today, many contemporary Indigenous artists create jewelry using the shells, including Jamie Okuma’s signature tiered styles, or Tania Larsson’s striking necklaces.
