I Made My Runway Debut In My Late 30s — As My Most Authentic Self

"I realised that after a lifetime of uncertainty, I’d finally found unconditional love for myself — something I hope today’s Native youth can feel from the very start," says Kate Nelson.

Like many girls who came of age in the ’90s, I had aspirations of becoming a model. Thanks to the likes ofCindy Crawford,Christy Turlington andKate Moss, it was the American dream du jour. After all, their ivory-toned faces and wispy, lithe figures were seemingly everywhere, from countless catwalks to magazine...