Winnipeggers observed the National Ribbon Skirt Day with gatherings, round dances and allyship on Sunday.
The annual event was held at Winnipeg’s CF Polo Park to celebrate Indigenous culture, resilience and identity.
“It’s really powerful to see our community and our allies gather together in the same space to celebrate the culture and the richness of Indigenous community,” said Hilda Anderzon-Pyrz, organizer of the Sunday’s gathering.
Jan. 4 was recognized as National Ribbon Skirt Day in 2023 by the federal government, after Isabella Kulak, of Cote First Nation, was shamed by a staff member for wearing her ribbon skirt on formal wear day at her elementary school in Saskatchewan.
She wore the colourful garment, donned by Indigenous women at cultural events, as part of a formal day. But her family said at the time a staff member told her the outfit wasn’t considered formal enough.
The school division apologized, but her story sparked an online movement of Indigenous women sharing photos of themselves wearing ribbon skirts as an expression of pride in their identity.
Organizers also said it is important to see not only Indigenous women gathering for the event, but also men and community allies.
“It’s a celebration of who we are and our strength as indigenous women, girls, two-spirited and gender diverse people,” Anderzon-Pyrz said.
For some people attending, the event is a way to participate in decolonization of public spaces.
“It is like normalizing our culture in spaces you would not necessarily expect them to be,” said Mindy Mckenzie, who attended the event with her mother and daughter.
“For instance, in polo park you don’t see every day people walking around in ribbon skirts or showing their pride in being Indigenous,” Mckenzie added.
McKenzie says the celebration is a way of reclaiming her identity as an Indigenous woman — something that was not possible for her grandmother and her mother.
Amber Laplante, local ribbon skirt maker, says the national day celebrates the historical importance of ribbon skirts for Indigenous communities
“Ribbon skirts have so much meaning for people who make them,” Laplante said. “It supports our households, it pays our rent, it keeps money within our community.”
For Mitchell Saunders, the ribbon skirt gave a way for them to accept their two-spirit identity and embrace their culture.
“(I) became more accepting of my feminine spirit,” Saunders said. “When I first wore it, it felt right, it felt amazing, it felt me.”
