On February 28, 2023, the Aramark Destinations team at Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas hosted the second annual Native American Trunk Show at which Southwest traders and artisans came together to show their handcrafted jewelry, clothing, and other goods to managers of gift shops operated by Aramark.
A few of the national parks and tourist destinations in attendance included Crater Lake, Lake Powell, Grand Canyon Lodge - North Rim, The Lodge at Bryce Canyon, Red Canyon Village, Signal Mountain Lodge & Marina, Chisos Mountains Lodge, Big Bend Resort & Adventures, Yosemite National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Colonial Williamsburg, and Pikes Peak.
'We are excited to showcase and support Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, and many other federally recognized tribal artisans,' said Eric Flanigan, Vice President of Retail, Aramark Destinations. 'Native American tribes have an extensive history and our guests appreciate the local craftsmanship they can find at our gift shops to remember their vacation and personal connection with the land.'
Aramark employees had the opportunity to speak with the artisans to personally discuss what products would work best in their gift shops. Here are just some of their stories.
First American Traders
First American Traders, an authentic Native American jewelry company located in Gallup, New Mexico, displayed necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, and more. Started in 1974, the family-owned company consists of about 80 Native American employees and contractors and is one of the few companies that still manufacture authentic Native American arts and crafts and jewelry.
Kastlfel
Jerry Wheeler, Co-Founder and CEO of Kastlfel, presented his sustainably made T-shirts at the trunk show. Wheeler has more than 20 years of experience in the apparel industry's retail, wholesale, and manufacturing sectors.
In 2008, he founded EcoCentric Brands which uses fair, sustainable, and transparent methodology. Products are made from transitional cotton, which means the cotton is in the transition phase of becoming certified organic cotton.
Wheeler's mission is to rethink how clothing products are made by using sustainable materials that will not hurt the environment.
Inspired by a 70s protest song, the name 'Kastlfel' is a play on the words 'castle' and 'fell' and signifies change, motions, and renewal. Wheeler says, 'Although, the 'K' may look like a letter, it really is a metaphorical structure in motion,' said Wheeler. 'Depending on how you choose to see it, it's either in the process of being torn down or being built, just like the castle.'
Cole Apparel
Cole Apparel was founded in 2015 by Tye Gaddis with a philosophy of enhancing environments and people through positive American made fashion. All products and materials are made locally in Los Angeles, reducing the transportation associated with global brands and supporting the local economy.
Artisan-Led Classes and Demonstrations
At the trunk show, two artisans led craft demonstrations in addition to showing their wares.
Pearl Seaton, a Navajo Native American born in Tuba City, Arizona, showed Aramark attendees how to make a dream catcher and shared the story of how her grandparents taught her how to make them.
Seaton explained how the middle of the dream catcher is where good and bad dreams filter-and can be any size. Seaton reminisced on how her grandmother used to make the hole very small and her grandfather would joke that her life dreams were very small.
Pearl Seaton
Charlene Isaac Hunt, a weaver from Page, Arizona, was raised on the Dine (Navajo) Reservation where she was taught to weave by her grandmother at just eight years old. Isaac Hunt enjoys teaching others how to weave and the difference between the types of weaving and fabrics.
Isaac Hunt introduced herself in her own language from the clan system, which identifies a person and where their family comes from.
She explained that the most important clan in her culture is the female clan. Similar to how the man's name gets passed on from generation to generation, in her family it is the woman's name that passes on.
Charlene Isaac Hunt
Aramark Employee Resource Group Involvement
Along with the artists' tables and demonstrations, Aramark's women-led employee resource group (ERG) EMPOWER hosted a table run by Susan Liston, Senior Vice President of Growth, Aramark Destinations; Kelly Zwierzchowski, Aramark Vice President of Operations at Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas; and Clarenda Begay, an independent consultant.
EMPOWER's mission is to empower and grow diverse leadership among women, driving results by promoting career development, networking, and mentoring alongside allies across Aramark.
ARAMARK 
