Tribal Clothing

One of the best things about growing up/going to school on the Navajo Reservation was the Tribal Clothing project. Once a year through out elementary there came a day when a very official looking individual came in carrying a transparent trash bag full of odd colors. My life would light up instantly. It was Tribal Clothing Day.

Basically, the Tribal Clothing was a program put in place to provide a least a pair of shoes and a jacket (some bags came with pants and shirts) to Navajo children. These gifts were given to those only diligent enough to return the forms with their size to their teacher.

My worst experience with Tribal Clothing was when I did not turn in my form (I was a forgetful child) during my 1st grade year. The day came and my peers received new shoes and coats. I waited patiently for them to call my name so I too could go to the front of the class to receive my plastic bag of goodness. My name was never called. I sat there, feeling the tears burning my eyes, trying not to cry in front of my first crush.

Easily the best experience with Tribal Clothing was when I got this beautiful purple coat that changed to lighter shade of purple in the right light/angle. I loved that coat. That was also the same year that a well liked girl got a waist-cut blue coat with blue fur lining the collar. Every girl wanted to trade with her. But she held fast to her coat and wore it everyday for the rest of the week. I wore my purple coat almost everyday, even days when it was not cold. I remember that the seems started to tear and the coat had stains by the time my mother wanted me to get rid of it. Of course, I would not let her. That was the same year that I got shoes with lights at the bottom that flashed every time I took a step. BEST SHOES EVER! The day after our Tribal Clothes arrived, almost everyone wore their light up shoes and when the teacher was out, we turned off the lights and ran around the room just watching the red lights flash along the floor. We had a look out so we were long back in our seats by the time she returned.

It was only until this evening when I was chatting with a friend who had an auntie in charge of the Tribal Clothing program that I was able to relieve one of the best things about my elementary. Everyone I knew at my school loved Tribal Clothing and I was very sad the year that they stopped giving them to my age group. I would like to thank everyone who was ever involved with the program and that if your mission was to have at least one child be thankful/stylish, you achieved your mission.