NEW YORK — Two Native American dancers from the Navajo Nation proudly graced the MET Gala’s red carpet Monday.
The theme was “gilded glamour,” a nod to the grandeur of 19th-century America. During that time, wealth was held by very few, and the U.S. government was waging wars to crush Native Americans and drive them from their native lands.
Kenneth Shirley and Dominic Pablo proudly showcase their native culture around the country as dancers for Indigenous Enterprise.
“I heard cheering from behind this crowd across the street from the met gala. They’re cheering, and I'm like, which celebrity are they cheering for? Who got out of their ride? And they were looking our way, cheering for us,” said Pablo.
Shirley and Pablo scored the MET red carpet invite from a friend catering it.
“In that gilded age, we weren't even considered U.S. citizens in our own country. So we would have been arrested for what we're doing,” said Shirley.
Fast forward to 2022, and the men stood front and center at the MET Gala adorned in their men's fancy war dance regalia.
“That's a beautiful thing,” said Shirley. “It was only fitting because that theme was America. And we had to let them know what the real America is.”
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