Students model their creations. Photo Courtesy LAPS

LAHS Senior Hannah Waldschmidt, Pueblo of Tigua at Ysleta Del Sur tribe, models her ribbon skirt. Photo Courtesy LAPS

Students watch as the ribbon pieces for a shirt are sewn together during the first Ribbon Skirt & Shirt Workshop hosted by Los Alamos Public Schools in celebration of Native American Heritage Month. Photo Courtesy LAPS

A family models their creations. Over 45 students and families attended the first LAPS Ribbon Skirt & ShirtWorkshop held in the Speech Theater at Los Alamos High School. Photo Courtesy LAPS

LAPS NEWS RELEASE

More than 45 students participated in the first Los Alamos Public Schools Ribbon Skirt and Shirt Workshop held last month in celebration of Native American Heritage Month. Students created their own unique and personalized ribbon skirt or ribbon shirt.

“The workshop celebrated Native American culture by facilitating the social transformation of knowledge by turning Indigenous cultural practices into shared, experiential learning that strengthened community connection and empowered both Native and non-Native students to carrythese traditions forward,” explained Jovita Mowrer, the LAPS Native American Student Support.

The workshopwas held on the Los Alamos High School campus. High school students were able to work on skirts and shirts during W.I.N. (What I Need) time in the afternoon. The evening session was open to students and families of all ages.

“Students created skirts and shirts that reflected their personalities and are meaningful to
them,” Mrs. Mowrer said. “It was so amazing to see everyone working together.”

“We hope to make this an annual activity,” she added.

Mrs. Mowrer would like to personally thank the Waldschmidt family, including Amanda Waldschmidt, David Olivas, and Mary Lou Olivas for facilitating the ribbon skirt and shirt workshop and for sharing their cultural knowledge with students and the community.

“Their teachings provided an important opportunity for participants to learn, connect and celebrate Native American culture,” she said.

We also extend our appreciation to the following Los Alamos businesses for their generous contributions of materials and supplies, which helped make the workshop possible: Shelly Kuropatwinski at Atomic City Quilts, Ken Nebel at Village Arts, and Lisabeth Lueninghoener at
STEAMLab.

We also gratefully acknowledge the following LAPS district employees who volunteered as seamstresses: Santana Shije, Sarah Marquez, Ellen McBee, Trish Conlin, and Andrea Lynch.

LAHS Senior Hannah Waldschmidt, Pueblo of Tigua at Ysleta Del Sur tribe, created a video “What is a Ribbon Skirt?” The following is transcribed from that video.

“Ribbon skirts are a popular article of clothing worn across Indigenous communities. Ribbon skirts carry many deep spiritual meanings, in both their design and the overall reason for wearing them. Different colored ribbons represent different things and different styles can represent different tribes. Wearing ribbon skirts serves as a representation of pride. Pride for being a woman, pride for being Indigenous, pride for being alive. By wearing them and making them, we give our thanks and love to our ancestors who lived on this land before us. For our mothers who were the first teachers that taught us how to be overall basic humans. For our grandparents and their grandparents who made being Native American what it is today. Additionally, wearing it pays respect to those who could not practice their culture during colonization and forced assimilation. During the 19th and 20th century, many Indigenous people were taken from their families and forced to give up their languages, their traditions. If they didn’t comply, they faced death. We wear ribbon skirts today because they couldn’t back then. We also wear them in respect to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Those are sisters who have lost their lives for the crimes of being themselves. We wear it to show our pride and love for who we are as people to show that we’re here and that we’ll always be here. Over the years, ribbon skirts have become more prominent in our society. And we see that with a lot of famous people. Take Isabella Kulak for example, a young Native American girl in Canada. During a formal day at school, Isabella chose to wear her ribbon skirt, a piece of regalia that shows the resilience and love that is in the culture of being a Native American woman. Well, Isabelle received backlash from a teaching assistant, who considered her sacred piece, not formal enough. Although the school later apologized, Isabelle’s story found its way up to the Senate and as a result January 4th became National Ribbon Skirt Day. Deb Holland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe and UNM graduate, became the first Native American woman to serve as the cabinet secretary for Congress in 2018. During her inauguration, she wore a ribbon skirt made by Agnes Woodhart, a Native American mother. Woodhart also heavily advocates for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, an issue she holds close to her heart after an aunt’s murder.

Through these stories, you can see the incredible power and influence held by Native American women and the beautiful skirts that tell those stories.”