PHOENIX — Ty Lodgepole, Indigenous Enterprise dance member says, "I was always taught to dance for the ones who can't dance and dance to give back to others."
Lodgepole is of the Navajo Nation, and he's been dancing for 15 years. He's part of the international, Phoenix-based dance troupe, Indigenous Enterprise.
"[We went to] Sydney, Australia to perform at the Opera House. We did different collaborations with a lot of brands and did the presidential inauguration," says Lodgepole.
The group was in Los Angeles over the weekend for a photo shoot.
"We were away from the car for like an hour and within that hour, we came out [and the] trunk was open," said Lodgepole.
Generations of beadwork, bustles, feathers, roaches and moccasins stolen from the trunk of their locked car.
"The different stories and teachings behind the designs within it too. That's the part that kind of makes me a little uneasy," he said.
They told ABC15 they filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department but feel targeted since no other items inside were stolen.
Time is ticking for Indigenous Enterprise; they're performing at the Tempe Center for the Arts in just two weeks. The handmade outfits take two to three months to make. In the meantime, friends have offered to lend them items before their next performance.
"They could steal out regalias, but they can't steal the spirit and drive within us," says Lodgepole.
To help Indigenous Enterprise, we've attached a link to their GoFundMe.
