AIT-SCM's

P?lam T?p Ta? Project

The gwing movement for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People, which desires to bring to the forefront awareness of the terrible violence experienced by Native American women and people, doesn't receive mainstream acknowledgement and even worse, the lack of statistics caters to the erasure of this severely damaging epidemic. Many people in our communities, our colleagues, and families have become survivors of this violence as well as escaped other very traumatic environments.

American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions has decided to join with the movement to bring awareness and calls for direct action in Yananguana (San Antonio, Tx).

My name is Bercy Clitso-Smith. I am Dine' (Navajo) from Shiprock, NM of the Navajo Nation. My clans are Kinyaa'aanii da shi ma, Lo'kaa da shizhe'e, Ashiihi da shi cheii, Ma'iideeshgiizhinii da shinali (Towering house are my mom's, Reeds are my dad's, maternal clan is Salt and paternal clan is Coyote Pass), this is who I am as a Dine' asdzaan / Navajo woman.

I have resided in San Antonio, Texas for 22 years with my husband and our 4 kids.
I started making skirts in 2018 to help support my family and so far it's been taking care of us thus far. Growing up I would watch mom western shirts for dad and my brothers and my maternal grandma a Navajo weaver would make Navajo attires for our family and quilts, this is where I learned to sew. I love the creativity in making ribbon skirts, overlay lace ribbon skirts and 3 tier skirts. These skirts are not limited to wearing for ceremonial purposes, but can also be worn to pow-wows, powwow performances, festivities, work, school event's, social events, even just to the grocery store. So rock your ribbon skirts every day, not only in April (National Ribbon Skirt Month).

Ahe'hee / Thank you