My Kind of Art: Nevada’s Adrian Stevens and Sean Snyder

Indigenous art, often full of symbolism and meaning, is an important part of Nevada’s rich cultural tapestry. Spanning a wide array of traditional forms from pottery to painting, basket weaving to beadwork, these expressions tell stories that explore themes of identity and nature, spirituality and history.

Nevada artists Adrian Stevens and Sean Snyder are redefining what it means to make traditional Indigenous art. The pair are celebrated for their intricate beadwork and award-winning dance and travel the world to blaze new trails for their community as they compete as a same-sex couple.

A shared powwow background

Sean, who goes by they/them pronouns, is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and a descendant of the Southern Ute tribe. Adrian descends from the Northern Ute, Shoshone-Bannock, and San Carlos Apache Tribes. Even before they met fifteen years ago, both grew up dancing, competing, and making their own regalia in powwows – exciting intertribal events that celebrate Indigenous culture and traditions. Some powwows have been taking place for centuries and help keep traditional songs and dances alive.

Today, they are inseparable partners. Adrian is a grass dancer: a style of dance that originated in the Great Plains when dancers flattened the grass and blessed the grounds as they moved ahead of the tribe during migration. Sean is a fancy dancer: a colorful, energetic style of dance that originated in Oklahoma.

“Even non-Natives are welcome to come and look at the dancing, look at the food vendors, and really take in all that it has to offer,” Adrian says.

A spiritual expression

Powwow dancing is a spiritual experience, and both say performing in the arena is exhilarating.

“The second that song starts and you feel that heartbeat of the drum, it's like your soul is awakened, and you with it.” Adrian says. “And it translates through your movement.”

Despite specializing in different styles of dance, Adrian and Sean began dancing as a Two-Spirit couple once they fell in love. Two-Spirit is an umbrella term used to describe LGBTQ+ people of Native American heritage. Growing up, they didn’t see other Two-Spirits reflected in their communities. By dancing together, they hope to change that for the generations that come after them.

It wasn’t always easy. The pair were thrust into the spotlight when they were disqualified from a competition for being a same-sex couple. 

“It really hurt,” Adrian says. “I remember traveling home and feeling a sense of emptiness.”

But instead of sinking into despair, the pair spoke out, traveling to college campuses, appearing in a documentary, and even serving as keynote speakers in the Human Rights Campaign’s “Time to Thrive” summit, where they talked about fighting for change after being disqualified from the powwow.

Their voices haven’t just been heard: their advocacy has reshaped the culture. Today, they are welcomed by the same powwow that once disqualified them – and return to compete regularly. They may have set out to motivate young people, but Sean says the two hear from all age groups, even tribal elders, that their visibility has inspired them, too.

“I feel like I am representing my tribe,” Adrian says. “I'm representing my family. I'm also representing myself in the best way that I can in my dancing ability and my designs.”

Designing from heritage

Adrian and Sean dance in their own creations. Regalia is an important aspect of powwow culture, and Adrian began sewing, cutting, and tracing designs for his outfit at an early age. He didn’t start beading until eight years ago, while Sean has been beading since their aunt taught them the craft at the age of 13.

Both are quick to point out that regalia is not a costume. Costumes are for pretending, while regalia is about representation, Adrian says.

“This is us. This is who we are. We don't call it a costume. We always say your outfit, or your regalia.”

The designs are rooted in their tribal backgrounds and incorporate recognizable elements of their heritage, like beaded flowers as a nod to the Shoshone people, who are known for their roses. The details are important since Adrian says there is a belief within Indigenous communities that your ancestors will recognize your design or warpaint.

Regalia starts with a pair of moccasins, which Adrian and Sean craft by hand from smoked buckskin hide. Unlike other artisans who embellish the footwear with small beaded designs, the duo fully covers their moccasins with beadwork. The method is intricate and time-consuming – it’s easy to crack a bead if you aren’t careful – and few create moccasins this way anymore, but Adrian and Sean stick to traditional craftsmanship.

Regalia differs depending on the style of dance. Elements may include leggings, sheepskin furs, fully beaded belts, capes, cuffs, harnesses, and jewelry known as roaches – made from porcupine hair, deer hair, and feathers. Some families spend years working together to create their regalia.

Making an impact

The couple’s handiwork isn’t limited to regalia. Their art is also shown at prestigious venues across the country. They recently made a splash with “Beaded Birkin 25,” a replica Birkin bag beaded in both Charlotte-cut and 24 carat gold seed beads, freshwater pearls, vintage brass sequins, brass hardware, ermine fur accents, and vintage American broadcloth. It’s a stunner that took months to design and two and a half months to create.

The two are proud to be part of the Indigenous community creating art in Nevada, and Adrian says it’s imperative to showcase Nevada’s many tribes along with their food, art, and craftsmanship.

“Nevada feels like home,” Adrian says. “Native Nevada feels like that place where you can go and find a piece of everything.”

“It's so important to Native people and our survival that we are still seen.”

With young Natives preserving and presenting these centuries-old traditions, these art forms will be seen and cherished for generations.