At the Indigenous Peoples’ Day event in October at Gordon Russell Middle School in Gresham, children danced joyfully to the sounds of drumming, stomping their feet and twirling in circles. With multicolored fringe flowing from their outstretched arms and delicately beaded moccasins adorning their feet, each child looked the part, embodying the pride and resilience of their heritage as they celebrated together.
A symbolic sense of belonging overtakes the wearer when they don traditional pieces of regalia, said Savanna Rilatos, co-founder of the Siletz Regalia Sharing Closet. Rilatos was inspired by this feeling of cultural connection to establish a resource closet that would include regalia for everyone looking to connect with their heritage.
“I think one of the biggest things with healing our communities and healing our youth is getting them involved in the culture and giving them that sense of belonging,” Rilatos said.
Founded by Rilatos and her cousin, Jeidah DeZurney, the Siletz Regalia Sharing Closet was created in the summer of 2023 to bridge that gap between accessibility and culture. The organization was recently granted nonprofit status, which has given the co-founders the opportunity to expand the closet in new ways. The pair have been busy applying for grants, establishing workshops and developing an advisory board in Oregon.
Siletz Regalia Sharing Closet is a beneficiary of The Oregonian/OregonLive’s 2024 Season of Sharing holiday fundraising campaign.
> Donate to Siletz Regalia Sharing Closet or the Season of Sharing general fund. You can also Text the code Season2024 to 44-321.
At the annual Nesika Illahee Pow-Wow in August 2023, Rilatos and DeZurney showcased about a dozen donated pieces along with other handmade items from the closet in their first event.
“At the powwow, we got tons of people donating stuff and really loving the idea,” Rilatos said. “And so we were just like, ‘We have to keep doing this, because there’s such a need.’”
Rilatos noted that many barriers exist. Financially, regalia is expensive, and culturally, many children lack access to Indigenous events and knowledge.
Both Rilatos and DeZurney work in child education, which inspired them to empower Indigenous children and help build their confidence through access to regalia.
“I think one message that I always tell people is that it’s not really about the regalia,” DeZurney said. “It’s deeper than just these physical pieces of regalia. It’s the community, the knowledge and the safe space that we’ve been able to create with families and kids specifically.”
Many Indigenous families have been able to access regalia for the first time through the sharing closet. Kunu Bearchum, a multimedia artist from Portland, was able to see his son dance in regalia for the first time at the University of Oregon Mother’s Day Powwow earlier this year.
“We were able to get my son and my nephew into some regalia,” Bearchum said. “For my son, that was the first time he was in regalia. And it was just such a magical moment to have that barrier to access not exist anymore.”
Growing up without access to regalia, Bearchum described himself as a supporter at powwows, though he always wanted to be a dancer. Experiencing these traditions after generations of assimilation to the dominant culture, he said, has been a powerful experience.
“It’s making the barrier to entry into this beautiful aspect of our native culture a lot easier for families,” said Bearchum about the nonprofit. “It’s that idea of representation … If you can see yourself in this position, it makes it a reality.”
Since the closet was founded last summer, it has grown to hold over 50 pieces of regalia. While Rilatos and DeZurney have managed every event on their own, a developing advisory board and increasing community interest give them hope for a lasting impact on Indigenous youth.
In the future, the co-founders hope to host workshops that will teach participants how to create their own regalia and inspire others to establish closets in their own communities.
“If we’re able to have these workshops where we bring in the knowledge holders, where we buy all of the materials, where we provide instructions, that is the ultimate breakdown of barriers,” DeZurney said. “It would be beautiful to see a whole community, or a whole network of closets around the country.”
What your donation can do
$25: Provides the finishing touches to any dancer’s set: a concho belt or moccasins.
$50: Supplies regalia for a young boy to dance grass style for the very first time.
$100: Affords countless Native girls the opportunity to dance jingle at powwows across the Northwest.
$200: Sponsors a workshop for members of our community to make their very own regalia.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by The Oregonian/OregonLive.com and republished here with permission.
The Oregonian/OregonLive receives support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to bring readers stories on religion, faith and cultural connections in Oregon. The Oregonian/OregonLive is solely responsible for all content.
