The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity has named four Native changemakers to its 2026 Curious 100, the organization’s annual list honoring 100 people across the United States whose work is shaping culture, public life, and creative practice through curiosity. The 2026 cohort includes Jade Begay, Nicholas Galanin, Amy Denet Deal, and Kevin Aspaas.
Begay and Galanin are recognized as Creators, artists who use creativity to address social challenges and spark conversation. Deal and Aspaas are recognized as Makers, people who turn ideas into tangible work through craft, design, and hands-on creativity.
Jade Begay, who is Tesuque Pueblo and Diné, is an Indigenous activist and podcast host based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has worked with Indigenous-led organizations and Tribes from the Amazon to the Arctic, helping advance Indigenous-led solutions and self-determination through advocacy campaigns, research, storytelling, and narrative strategies. President Joe Biden appointed her to the first White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council in 2021, and she later served as National Engagement Native American Director for the Harris-Walz campaign in 2024. She now hosts JADED, a podcast produced in collaboration with Indigenous House.
Nicholas Galanin is a Lingit and Unangax̂ multidisciplinary artist and musician based in Sitka, Alaska. His practice is rooted in land and engaged with contemporary culture through form, image, and sound. His work uncovers obscured histories, critiques the commodification of culture, and contributes to the living continuum of Tlingit art. His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in public and private collections.
Amy Denet Deal is a Diné designer, creative director, and community builder based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is the founder of 4KINSHIP, an upcycled artwear brand, and the founder of Indigenous Futures 4EVER, a nonprofit focused on next-generation creative and entrepreneurial pathways across Native communities. Her work ranges from reclaimed garments to long-term projects on the Navajo Nation, including skateparks, youth sports facilities, and creative economy incubators.
Kevin Aspaas is a Diné textile and fiber artist based in Shiprock, New Mexico. He is of the Towering House People Clan, born for the Bitterwater People Clan, with maternal roots in the Many Goats People Clan and paternal roots in the Mud People Clan. He is recognized for his mastery of old-style Navajo wedge weave and for creating both traditional and contemporary Diné textiles through a “sheep to loom” practice that includes raising Navajo-Churro sheep, hand-spinning wool, and using natural dyes.
These four incredible Native talents being named to the 2026 Curious 100 reflect just how expansive Indigenous creativity and leadership continue to be. Their work spans advocacy, contemporary art, fashion, design, and traditional textile practice, yet each is grounded in care for community and a commitment to carrying something forward. Having Jade Begay, Nicholas Galanin, Amy Denet Deal, and Kevin Aspaas recognized on a national list like this makes clear that Native vision, innovation, and cultural knowledge remain central to the conversations shaping this time.
Congratulations to Jade Begay, Nicholas Galanin, Amy Denet Deal, and Kevin Aspaas on this well-earned recognition.
Discover more from Red Pop! News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
