What Zho Wears: Traditional Clothes Edition

Since our daughter's birth two years ago, our family has outfitted her with traditional Native American clothes (sometimes called "regalia") that are representative of her multi-tribal make up and worn for special occasions.  She has had two Navajo outfits thus far.  

This is her first Dine' outfit: a purple dress made to look like the camp style velvet top and broomstick skirt.  Zho had hers commissioned by her mayazhi (auntie) in Arizona by award winning designer Michelle Silver, for her A'wee Chi'deedloh (Baby's First Laugh Celebration).  This was summertime and it had to be cool, so her version is sleeveless, although traditionally these are long sleeved blouses.    

She wore it with her (oversized but functional!) sash belt, two of her turquoise and coral bracelets (from her Nali Kumas and her Masani) and her mayazhi's baby squash blossom.  Her footwear is the traditional women's style wrap-around moccasins, also provided by her mayazhi! 

Here, Zho is with her dad and I at his tribes annual pow wow.  Little known fact: the fringe on a sash belt is also very tasty to the teething infant.  

Masani bought Zho's second Navajo outfit when we all went on a trip back to the Navajo reservation last year for my nephew's High School graduation.

She wears her velvet top and skirt with a turquoise necklace given to me by my husband's gram and a jacla given to me by our family friend's granddaughter when she was royalty at a prominent pow wow in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  In the summertime (on the R), she wears her nali kumas' turquoise brooch and in the falltime (on the L) she is wearing one of my earrings (given to me by shima (my mother)) as a brooch.  She also wears a "concho belt" that is not a REAL concho belt, but one that was given to me by one of my mayazhis as more of a fashion accessory.  When they are small like this, one can get creative with the jewelry options on hand.  She is wearing her turquoise earrings and low top Navajo moccasins, both given to her by my sister.  

 I was reminded of my husbands artistry and talents this weekend as I dressed our daughter in her Narragansett clothes for an event at a local Museum.  Something I have learned from husband is that it is an act of bravery to give life to a thought.  To turn something that only you can see when you close your eyes into something that the world can touch, see, taste or smell requires a degree of fearlessness.  That is what my husband gives us when he has a vision and he makes it reality with his hands. (He even does this in the kitchen. And we have had some delicious, albeit interesting, dinners as a result.)  He made, designed, and selected pieces for her Northeastern Woodlands outfit and his talents and vision are showcased by our sweet little beauty. 

 Zho wears a cotton top that evokes the muslin tops Native women here in the Northeast would wear in the early 17th century with a tradecloth wrap around skirt.  My husband also made her deerskin center seam moccasins and her coordinating deerskin bag with glass beads, tradecloth, wampum, and beaver pelt accents.  

 Zho's wampum earrings were on loan to us courtesy Nali Kumas and were made by a local Pequot artist.  Her strings of brass and glass trade beads are her fathers. Her sash belt is tied in the back, Northeastern Woodlands style.  Note her super traditional hair elastics.  

Her cradleboard was purchased a few years ago during a trip back to chei and masani's house in Ada, Oklahoma. I wish we had taken note of the artist who made the cradleboard because it is the perfect size for her now, we would love to have another that is a little bigger when she is older.  This cradleboard fits a cornhusk doll made for her by her Nali Kumas.  We wrapped her doll in a coordinating piece of tradecloth.  There is nothing more embarrassing than a cradleboard swaddle that doesn't match your outfit.  

The event took place outside and the weather was perfect, but still too warm for her to wear leggings.  Yazhi was very well behaved and worked very hard at being the most period-correct Narragansett little girl she could be.  I had a wonderful time watching her "work" and no matter what she wears she is always clothed in kindness, intelligence, and humor.  

the YFM's closet confessional: floral shift dress

Over my (2) years of mommydom, I have developed a very important mathematical theorem.  Much more applicable than the pythagorean, who was that guy anyway, mine has REAL LIFE RELEVANCE.  Here is the equation:
The more time I spend with my children = The worse my appearance.
The less time I spend with my children = The better my appearance.
This cruel equation is the reason why I have to stock my half of the closet with easy to wear clothes that require little to no creativity, planning and DEFINITELY no ironing.  Ironing is something single girls with no children do.  That and wearing matching pairs of socks.

Today we highlight a huge life saver in my perpetual struggle to appear acceptable in society: the shift dress.  I have ten, yes TEN shift dresses, I went through and counted them.  I really like this one by Nicole by Nicole Miller.

The shift dress is the grown up older sister of the more whimsical fit n flare and skater dresses.  She has a job.  In order to make anything professional, I just throw a blazer on it.  This is not a good fashion rule to follow but I want to embody quirk in the workplace so I am ok with it.  I also was born with the shoulders of Rob Gronkowski.  So a pantsuit style blazer, replete with shoulder pads, would look weird with a shift dress.  Instead I wear less structured, often times cropped and 3/4 length sleeved blazers.

This print is visually interesting enough so I only wore one piece of minimal jewelry; I'm not trying to make my co workers dizzy.

This rose gold confection (and mother's day present!) is teeny tiny and has the initials of the yucca fruit prince and princess.  Being a tall girl with Gronk shoulders, I never thought I could wear the dainty stuff, but I was wrong! And it's a good thing, because delicate pieces are having their moment right now.

This print reminds me of some contemporary North American indigenous abstracts I have seen somewhere...

photo courtesy: mother in law 

photo courtesy: mother in law 

Closet confession: The work friendly shift dress is an easy way to look like you did not just roll out of bed, breastfeed your infant, and drop your toddler daughter off at her grandma's house in her pajamas.  Hypothetically.

Notes on a Narragansett Wedding

There are few things in life more romantic and sweet and emotional and wonderful, than a wedding.  Even the most cold hearted and cynical and soul-less among us (yours truly included) can find themselves misty eyed and smiling like an idiot all day long.   Last weekend is a testimony to the power of the wedding ceremony: my husband's sister and her fiance and father of their newborn baby boy, were married.  I consider myself a mostly heartless individual who succumbs to my emotions in moments of weakness.  But watching my beautiful sister in law walk down the aisle, the culmination of so much work and so much love, even I was overwhelmed with happiness. I hate it when that happens.

On the morning of I awoke to these bad girls all done and ready for the bride made by my talented and gorgeous husband! Moosehide center seam moccasins with white glass beads and wampum and deertail detailing.  A definite must for any stylish Narragansett bride.  The husband was awake late into the night before putting the finishing touches on these and they turned out AMAZING.  

I rolled out of bed way too early and helped my industrious and creative and all around party thrower extraordinaire mother in law decorate the venue. (Other than "hosting", and I use that term loosely, our gracious and wonderful family friends from Bermuda, I had not contributed much to the wedding preparations.  So I was all over reception site set up.)  Feast your eyes on these beauties all packaged and assembled and ready for the party! 

 


And once the centerpieces were assembled by aforementioned Bermuda family and mother in law:

 

Table numbers were written on paper lattice punched tags and burned onto small wood pieces.

Mason jars were wrapped in burlap and lace-on-ribbon and were placed on multi-tiered wood discs with glass milk jar vases, purple votives, pictures of the happy family and strewn with pearls.

 

   

All set and ready for the bride and groom!  I will die a happy woman if I never have to tie another chair bow again.

Back at our bedroom turned bridal suite, here I am breastfeeding our littlest yucca-fruit.  Our daughter was dressed and ready to do her duties!  Not pictured: me applying more false eyelashes on girls than a makeup artist backstage at a drag show.

The beautiful main event:

The wedding ceremony was conducted by a very well respected fixture in the Narragansett community and took place on the same spot where the bride's parents (and her brother and I!) were married.  My brother in law's girlfriend carried their newly born son in a Narragansett cradleboard, I carried shiyazh in his Dine' cradleboard, and one of the bride's best friends carried her newly born son (the ringbearer) in his Narragansett cradleboard.  And while the bridesmaids all looked beautiful, given the sad state of my arms, I wish I had worn yazh on my back pre -colonial style.  I want to go cradleboard hands free. Please. Next time. 

Of course after the ceremony the bride and groom were busy with pictures and we had time to mill about and take selfiiiiiiieeeessss!!!!

Shiyazh doo his bizhi! This is yazh and my mother in law's cousin.  I also worked for her for a number of years.  I am so thankful and happy to be able to call her my family.  These two are connected in some very special ways. I love when I get to document them together.  

This is my newest nephew! (I have all nephews and no nieces!)  My brother in law and his girlfriend's baby is snoozing in his cradleboard and being held by his auntie from Atlanta.  She and her husband whisked into town for the wedding and whisked out much too soon.

The bride and groom and their baby boy.  Take note of the footwear! 

Three yucca fruits and one non.  Yazh is a cradleboard baby!

Nizhoni was a great flower girl! But she didn't achieve this status on her own.  Her nali kumas ("paternal grandmother" and "grandmother" in Navajo and Narragansett respectively) worked with her and months before the wedding began explaining to her what her role is.  We ripped up little pieces of paper and put them in an old basket and sang the wedding march song and made her walk around various makeshift "aisles" in our home while scattering the pieces of paper.  Needless to say, yazhi rocked it. 

Our little flower girl and her auntie!

Shiyazhi and her cousin (her Nali Kumas' sister's daughter)

L-R: Tuscarora, Navajo/Ojibwe/ Chickasaw, St. David's Island Bermudian

The wonderful reception was a little bit of a blur, only because I was exhausted and malnourished and also it didn't help things that our flower girl was smelling less like a flower and more like a poopy diaper at the height of the party.  Nonetheless I can provide what I have! 

Shiyazhi and I felt very prestigious eating at the head table.  In fact, when she was asked to go sit with her father with the commoners for a while, she threw a fit fit for the head table.  

Shiyazh and his handsome father!  The bride and groom supplied all three newborn boy cousins with coordinating purple suspenders and bow ties.  Yazh debuted his new bow guard too and daddy rocked his custom designed turkey feather tie and wampum accessories.  

  SWOON!!!!

The weather was perfect, the bride and groom got choked up during their vows, the venues were idyllic and the love was in the air! It was a nizhoniful day and we were so happy to be a part of it! 

The next morning our yucca fruit prince and princess were sporting their best "we survived auntie and uncle's wedding" faces as we all slept in until 8:30am!