Marking 1st ever national Ribbon Skirts Day in northern Ontario | 24CA News

Autumn Lewis from Wiikwemikong First Nation, Ont., has been sporting and making ribbon skirts since her youth. She even sews them for her seven-year-old daughter.

She plans on making a brand new creation to put on particularly for Canada’s first ever National Ribbon Skirt Day — right now.

Canadian Senator Mary Jane McCallum launched a invoice in March 2021 to have the day formally acknowledged.

At the time she stated was impressed by 10-year-old Isabella Kulak. The younger Saskatchewan woman had been shamed for sporting her ribbon skirt at college, only a few months earlier than that.

Bill S-219, obtained royal assent and handed in Parliament in December 2022.

National Ribbon Skirt Day might be held each Jan. 4.

In Indigenous tradition ribbon skirts will be worn in ceremonies or particular occasions, however Lewis stated they will also be worn day-after-day. Each skirt is totally different and displays the identification and persona of the proprietor.

Lewis is the therapeutic and wellness co-ordinator on the N’Swakamok Native Friendship Centre in Sudbury, Ont. She holds workshops to show others the right way to sew their very own skirts as a approach to assist with their therapeutic journeys.

“Letting them take the reins on what they envision in their ribbon skirt,” she stated.

“It’s just really part of taking back your culture, giving to your own spirit and then just having a moment to feel special.”

Lewis calls ribbon skirts a ‘essential a part of my tradition, my identification’.

“I just feel very proud when I wear it.”

Self-confidence

Louise Jocko, of Birch Island close to Manitoulin, says there have been occasions when she felt apprehensive about sporting her ribbon skirt as effectively. She additionally works at N’Swakomok Native Friendship Centre with the homeless help program.

“I’ve come from powwows and I’m still wearing my skirt, and I come out of the car and in the back of my mind [wondering if] people are staring at me. But that really boils down to my self-confidence,” she stated.

“It’s just being able to be comfortable in my own skin, at the same time as wearing the ribbon dress.”

Jocko added that when she will replicate her personal identification and persona in her ribbon skirt that is when she walks extra confidently.

“Each person has their own story behind their skirts. Each person has their own colours that they bring with them when they make the skirt,” she stated.

“I think it really does bring about the resiliency and it shows the strength in our people that we’re reclaiming that culture and identity, you know wearing these skirts,” stated Jocko.

Jocko stated she usually will get others to make her ribbon skirts. She remembers the one time she discovered the right way to sew one for herself it got here out formed like a bell.

“I didn’t get the cut right and so it’s pretty baggy and it’s flared out.”

But Jocko stated her favorite ribbon skirt has material with a northern lights sample, and the seamstress embroidered two wolves on it. 

“Because it reminded me of my husband, who’s passed on now.”

To be marked each Jan. 4

Both Jocko and Lewis are thrilled to be sporting their ribbon skirts right now for National Ribbon Skirt Day.

Jocko stated as quickly as she heard in regards to the nationwide day she instantly requested Lewis if she could be sporting her ribbon skirt to work that day.

“I’m so excited to actually get my daughter to wear hers to school,” Lewis stated.

“Then seeing what kind of conversations come up in her classroom and what she comes back to tell me.”