Marble Falls grad embraces Native American heritage with handmade dresses

Kateri Angel Marie Henderson grew up in Highland Lakes, but has deep roots in Native American tribes across the Southwest. A Marble Falls Mustang since kindergarten, her high school graduation in May 2024 has become a powerful way to connect to her rich family heritage.

Along with her parents, Genice and Johnny Henderson, Kateri spent nearly three years putting together traditional dresses and jewelry from her Jemez (Hay-miss) and Navajo heritage for a special graduation photoshoot that connected her to her culture.

“We’ve taken a lot of trips to New Mexico (to work on dresses and jewelry), and that’s helped me learn a lot,” Kateri said. “There’s still so much to learn, but I feel closer to my heritage.”

Kateri was born in Socorro, New Mexico and lived on the Alamo Navajo Indian Reservation until she was 5, when her family moved to Highland Lakes. While her parents grew up steeped in their native culture, Kateri and her three brothers Trey, Ray, and Shay grew up in the Texas Hill Country area of ​​Cottonwood Shores.

Mother Genice is Navajo from the Alamo Reservation. Father Johnny is half Jemez and half Navajo from the Jemez Pueblo.

Genice was the driving force behind her daughter's quest, which lasted three years and culminated in the graduation photoshoot.

“I knew it would take me a long time to put everything together, so I started in 2022,” Genice said when asked how the idea came about. “Planning all of this and having my daughter represent her culture makes me so proud!”

The three outfits they created each represent different aspects of Kateri’s mixed and indigenous cultures. Everything was custom-made, from the leather moccasins on her feet to the jewelry around her neck.

One outfit combines a traditional purple ribbon dress with a black manta, which is still common in the Jemez Pueblo as evening wear for celebrations, festivals and tribal events.

The manta is a traditional garment required for modern Jemez ceremonies. In many cases, Johnny says, phones and glasses are not allowed at such events.

The Jemez still have a very traditional and strong culture, he explained. Traditional dress is required for tribal events and ceremonies.

The Jemez are a tribe native to the Southwest that have their own Pueblo. The 19 Pueblos of New Mexico are bound by a common Pueblo culture, but each has its own traditions and language and is considered a sovereign nation with independent governments and tribal justice systems.

Kateri's other two traditional outfits come from her Navajo heritage.

One is a rug dress, hand-sewn from a hand-woven Navajo blanket. Johnny compared the type of dress to something you would wear to a joyous and dignified event, like a graduation or high school prom. It is also expensive and time-consuming to make, he said.

The other Navajo outfit is a long, elegant red outfit reserved for ceremonies and important life events. It is specific to the Navajo coming-of-age traditions and practices but is also the result of a clash of cultures.

The Navajo used wool, leather, and plant fibers for their clothing, but by the late 19th century, European fabrics such as calico, velvet, and satin became more available and were woven into the cultural fabric.

Kateri also wore an assortment of custom silver and turquoise jewelry that paid homage to the strong tradition of Navajo silversmithing. She and her family hand-selected each turquoise stone for her earrings, bracelets, and necklace. The necklace is made in the famous squash blossom style, which has been worn since the early 1900s. According to Johnny, the meaning of the flower motif is simple: it represents the cycle of life.

Johnny said life on the reserve lacked opportunities, so he and his wife decided to move the family to a place they knew would offer more for their children.

Things were really bad on the reserve, he said. We could see what was going on with drugs, alcohol and gangs. We decided to move our whole family here so our kids could grow up in a better situation.

The Hendersons discovered Marble Falls through Johnny’s father, Larry, who moved from New Mexico and took a job at Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery in Burnet County. He moved to be closer to Johnny’s brother, Lawrence, who was recovering at San Antonio Army Medical Center from injuries sustained while serving in Iraq in 2010.

After a visit to Marble Falls, the family decided to pack up and move to Highland Lakes in 2011. They initially stayed near Inks Lake, but moved to Cottonwood Shores shortly after arriving.

“We love this place,” Johnny said. “Everyone is nice. The people here have welcomed us with enthusiasm. It’s like a dream come true. This is our home.”

The strong presence of the Christian faith in Highland Lakes was another important factor in the Henderson family's move. Johnny was raised Catholic, and he and Genice wanted their children to grow up in a Christian community. They attend St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Marble Falls.

The Hendersons’ heritage and faith are best exemplified by Kateri, who is named after the first Native American saint. St. Kateri Tekakwitha was officially canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. Kateri is the Mohawk tribes’ way of saying Catherine, which was the confirmation name Tekakwitha took when she was baptized at age 19 in 1676.

Johnny's grandmother, Josephine Henderson, spent much of her life fighting for Kateri Tekakwitha's canonization. She was ultimately successful and even attended the canonization in Rome in 2012.

“When you're confirmed, you have your own patron saint,” Johnny said. But my daughter already had hers.

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