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Winnipeggers celebrated National Ribbon Skirt Day with gatherings, round dances and community support on Sunday.
The annual event was held at Winnipeg’s CF Polo Park to celebrate Indigenous culture, resilience and identity.
January 4 was recognized by the federal government as National Ribbon Skirt Day in 2023, after Isabella Kulak of the Cote First Nation was shamed by a staff member for wearing a ribbon skirt on formal wear day at her elementary school in Saskatchewan.
They wore colorful costumes similar to those worn by indigenous women at cultural events as part of a ceremonial day. But her family said a staff member at the time told her the attire was not 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 say it’s important to see not only Indigenous women gathering for this event, but also men and community allies joining in.
“It’s really powerful to see our community and our allies gather in one place to celebrate the culture and richness of the Indigenous community,” said Hilda Anderson-Pirz, organizer of Sunday’s gathering.
For some of the participants, the event is a way to participate in the colonization of public spaces.
“It’s like normalizing our culture in places where you wouldn’t expect it,” said Mindy McKenzie, who attended the event with her mother and daughter.
“For example, at Polo Park it’s not every day you’ll see people walking around in ribbon skirts or showing pride in being Indigenous,” McKenzie said.
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.
Local ribbon skirt maker Amber LaPlante says the national day celebrates the historical importance of ribbon skirts to Indigenous communities.
“Ribbon skirts mean a lot to the people who make them,” LaPlante said. “It supports our homes, it pays our rents, it keeps money within our community.”
For Michelle Saunders, the ribbon skirt gave her a way to accept her Two-Spirit identity and embrace her culture.
“(I’m) becoming more accepting of my feminine spirit,” Saunders said. “When I first wore it, it felt right, it felt amazing, it felt right.”
