In Focus: Ribbon Skirts And Shirts Class Teaches Tradition

Using some thread, scraps of fabric and a sewing machine, a traditional ribbon skirt can be made in just a few hours.

Esther Humphrey wanted to bring this class to the Leech Lake Tribal College campus when she started working at the college last June.

The college provides all the needed materials and supplies for free to anyone interested. Since the re-occurring class started, they’ve now expanded into ribbons shirts as well for men.

The teachers are hoping to pass down this tradition to another generation.

This was Carmen Johnson’s first time making a skirt and she needed some direction to help fix part of the sewing.

Tamirah Howard had never used a sewing machine before but you wouldn’t know it. She was the first person to finish making her new skirt to wear to school

Niniimoshae Congerstone had some practice making quilts but never clothing. She just finished pinning the parts together.

But even the teachers were learning something new today.

The Leech Lake Tribal College Extension School and Community Outreach Program provides a variety of classes such as yoga, cooking and needle felting.