A Navajo Designer’s Reimagined Sports Uniforms Spread Across Reservations Nationwide

Guest post by Change Labs

The Grand Canyon Trust is proud to partner with Change Labs to help entrepreneurs realize their dreams and build a strong, resilient, and culturally respectful economy across Native America. 

Roddell Denetso, owner of Denetso Ink, but doing business as Black Streak Apparel, has been operating his business since 2021 and brings his own twist to uniforms and sports apparel. His work can be seen across the Navajo Nation and as far away as Florida, Oklahoma and Washington state.

“Everything I do is a one off piece. It’s original,” he said. “I don’t have set templates and I think that’s what I pride myself on, setting myself apart, no two uniforms designs are going to look exactly the same.”

It was a basketball tournament in Phoenix where Denetso became inspired with his business idea. He noticed hispanic teams had uniforms that represented them. They were customized with logos and colors that Denetso had never seen before.

“I always thought there was a lack of culture and Native style print and a lack of design options,” he said. 

When the pandemic hit and everything closed, Denetso decided it was time to start his own business. He bought building material and got to work putting up his shop. 

“It was a scary time when it first hit and you realized life is short,” he said of the coronavirus. “We don’t know what the future holds and I might as well go for something. I just told myself I’d rather try it and fail than to not even do it at all and always wonder what would have been.”

WADE ADAKAI

When he got his business going, he was offered a chance to open a shop in Farmington, New Mexico but he decided to keep his business on the Navajo Nation. 

“I felt like it was important that if it was Native owned, it was on Native land,” he said.

Denetso started small, he designed uniforms for local Navajo sports teams, club teams and eventually got noticed by colleges. He’s put out orders for Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas and also for United Tribes Technical College in North Dakota.

“I do my research, I check out what their symbolism is with their tribes and I’ll come up with design from there,” he said.

Denetso gets joy and satisfaction when he sees teams wearing the uniforms he’s made specifically for them.

“When these kids have these uniforms with design from where they’re from and it represents them, it makes them feel proud,” he said. “Those kids, when they’re proud of how they look, they’re proud of their culture and I really do believe that they play better and they play inspired. I think it’s important because it helps keep out culture and our traditions alive in that way.”

WADE ADAKAI

As Denetso looks to the future of his business, he hopes to open a storefront somewhere on the Navajo Nation and continue expanding his reach. he wants to eventually be the brand that every reservation school wears. 

When his business takes off, he wants to start giving back to the schools and the students. He wants to start sponsoring events and doing giveaways because he knows the struggle of playing sports on a reservation. 

“When I was growing up, I didn’t get much at all. I was always getting hand me down stuff and I know one thing my mom always struggled with was getting us new basketball shoes,” he said.

While Denetso works toward his goal of sponsorship, he continues to design with culture in mind and making sure athletes represent where they are from in a unique way. 

“I think it’s important because it’s more about being proud of where you come from. My grandma always said wherever you go, always be proud, always introduce yourself, this is who you are, this is where you’re from,” he said.

Black Streak Apparel can be found on Facebook and Instagram or at www.blackstreakapparel.store.

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