Michaela Parrott’s compassion for children in foster care, coupled with the love of her Chickasaw culture, finds its expression in a dual-purpose project — teaching people how to make ribbon skirts, which are gifted to First American children in foster care.
Parrott, a Chickasaw citizen, started teaching herself how to make ribbon skirts in 2024. She wanted to make one for her daughter, Ellie. At the beginning of her crafting journey, she utilized the sewing machine at her local library but soon purchased a small sewing machine to use at her dining room table. Once she realized her passion for crafting ribbon skirts, she upgraded to a bigger, better sewing machine and rearranged her house to have her own sewing room.
While she started out making ribbon skirts and shirts for her family and friends, she said she had the idea to make them for foster children as well.
“My family had foster kids growing up,” Parrott said. “Right now I’m not in a space that I can have foster kids, but I still wanted to give something to them.”
She started making ribbon skirts and shirts to donate to First American children in foster care. Hoping to expand her impact on First American foster care programs, she began teaching ribbon skirt and shirt crafting classes so others could contribute to her cause.
Parrott said she really enjoys teaching. As a WIC community dietician for the Chickasaw Nation, she gets to teach pregnant women and mothers about health and nutrition. In her previous position as a pediatric dietician for the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic — in addition to teaching about nutrition — Parrott taught multiple cultural classes as part of an after-school program for young girls. By aligning her passion for sewing and her heart for service, Parrott created a unique space to contribute to an underserved community and empower others to do the same.
Parrott started taking donations and raising money to buy supplies for her classes. She said she felt people would be less likely to donate their finished product if they had to buy their own materials.
To date, Parrott has taught four classes — one in Oklahoma City, one in Purcell and two in Norman.
She blocks the classes for about five hours and provides lunch and dinner for the participants as well. In addition to passing on her own traditions and helping foster children connect with their culture, the extended time together in the class allows people of various ages and backgrounds to connect with one another.
“The connection is there from littles to elders,” Parrott said.
That range is felt deeply. One elder attending Parrott’s class knew her late grandmother and was able to tell stories about her. At the other end of the generational spectrum, Parrott’s 6-year-old daughter Ellie sets up her own “classes” for children who attend Parrott’s class with a parent or guardian.
Beyond the difference in ages, Parrott said her classes often encounter people from diverse backgrounds. Many attendees are First American, with a vast range of tribes often represented at her class. Some participants have no tribal affiliation. Anyone is welcome to attend.
“We have people from different tribes come to these classes, and we have had a lot of sharing of our different traditions,” Parrott said. “We also share different events going on, and many of them are starting to go to them and build connections outside of class.”
One thing all attendees have in common is their compassion for foster children.
“A lot of them really connect with donating to foster children,” Parrott said. “They understand those hardships, and they are so willing and excited to be able to do this for them.”
Parrott’s determination to help foster children comes from her own upbringing. Growing up, her family fostered about a dozen different children, ranging in age from 2 weeks to teenagers. She said even though her family was fostering and not adopting, Parrott stayed in contact with many of them and even sees one of them as her sister, calling her children her niece and nephew.
Currently there is a great need for First American foster families. Randi Pope, foster care resource manager for the Chickasaw Nation, said there are 59 children in Chickasaw Nation tribal custody, ranging in ages from 0-17. At the moment, they have 56 families willing to foster, with 39 of those fully opened.
Not only is it crucial for children to have a safe and stable home where they can be loved while the biological family works toward reunification, but it is also vital for First American children to have access to their own culture.
Joni Wellington, director of Family Preservation for the Chickasaw Nation, stressed the importance of giving these children a connection to their own culture.
“For me, I think it gives them a sense of belonging,” Wellington said. “A lot of our native children are not raised in culturally sensitive homes. Sometimes it’s really their first introduction to culture when they come into care, but it gives us that opportunity to link them to their heritage, which is so important.”
Pope said there are many ways to support foster children beyond becoming a foster parent — from organizing donation drives to teaching classes or serving as a respite family. Parrott is an example of someone using their own skills and passions to help youth in foster care. She recognized a need and found her own solution. To date, she has been able to donate 52 ribbon skirts and 28 shirts to First American youth in foster care. As someone who was raised with foster siblings and has continued to work with First American youth as a pediatric dietician, Parrott understands the importance of keeping a connection to one’s culture.
“A separation from culture can happen with kids in foster care. And I know that, even for myself, sometimes when I was growing up there was a disconnection with my culture,” Parrott said. “But I feel the best when I’m in my ribbon skirt. That gives me that cultural connection.”
For more information about donating, volunteering or becoming a foster family, contact FosterCare@Chickasaw.net or call (580) 310-7900.