Our Purpose
Suwaay Hide Camp is created with Indigenous culture and knowledge sharing to foster community in the greater Denver Metro. The organizer, Chelsea Kaiah, coming from the Northern Ute Tribe, White River Band, and also belonging to the White Mountain Apache tribe, started her hide-working journey in 2021 alongside her Dad. She always had access to hunting and learning to process an animal from a very young age, as the beautiful Northern Ute tribe is rich with land and a vast amount of animals, including a bison herd.
Our Journey
Founding Story
Chelsea’s commitment to learning ancestral skillwork first started with porcupine quilling, understanding that it was a very different process in labor and the importance of upkeep. A yearly hunting trip with her dad provided a lot of knowledge, but she wanted to take it a step forward with learning how to tan the many bison, antelope, and deer hides they had. Her first hide, an antelope hide, was littered with holes but ignited a passion that seemed like it was always there. As Chelsea grew her personal art practice, it became very important to include her sustainability promises in her art practice. She began to use hide work and porcupine quilling in her art. Ensuring that most of the art she created was harvested by her own hands or was second-hand selvedge. Kaiah’s art practice has led her to show in galleries and museums all the way from East Coast Philadelphia to the West Coast in San Francisco, California. Even with success, Chelsea began to understand a key piece missing- No one understood hide-work or what that process even entailed.
Chelsea has been committed to serving the Indigenous Denver Metro community by sharing her knowledge often through beadwork classes, porcupine classes, and now through the hide-camp. She has taken her accumulating experiences of first mistakes and learned experiences to help guide others in learning from her mistakes. She has been a part of hide camps in Canada and has learned so much through First Nations Relatives.
Founding Story
Chelsea’s commitment to learning ancestral skills began with porcupine quilling, recognizing the intricate labor involved and the importance of upkeep. Her annual hunting trips with her dad provided extensive knowledge, yet she aspired to advance her skills by learning how to tan the numerous bison, antelope, and deer hides they collected. Her first project, an antelope hide riddled with holes, sparked a passion that felt intrinsic to her. As Chelsea developed her personal art practice, incorporating her commitment to sustainability became crucial. She started using hide work and porcupine quilling in her art, ensuring that most materials she used were either personally harvested or sourced from second-hand selvage. Kaiah’s art has been displayed in galleries and museums from Philadelphia on the East Coast to San Francisco on the West Coast. Despite her success, Chelsea realized a significant gap—many did not understand hide work or the processes involved.
Chelsea has dedicated herself to serving the Indigenous Denver Metro community by sharing her knowledge through beadwork classes, porcupine quilling classes, and now the hide camp. She leverages her accumulated experiences—including her initial mistakes—to guide others. Having participated in hide camps in Canada, she has gained considerable insight from First Nations Relatives.
Join us in honoring tradition and fostering community through the art of hide work.
Allies or Non-Indigenous Folk are always welcomed and encouraged to attend. Colorado has a vast hunting scene, and it would be great to experience hunters taking time to value this animal's material besides just their meat. This presents an excellent opportunity to understand and support Indigenous perspectives through a collaborative experience. The only requirement is to not intend to monetize this knowledge, especially to indigenous people. Foster this knowledge with the intent of not gatekeeping.
