January 4th is National Ribbon Skirt Day in Canada, and the SEIU-West First Nations Métis Inuit Committee (FNMIC) would like to share some information about this special day:
Isabella Kulak, a member of the Cote First Nation of Saskatchewan was shamed for wearing a handmade ribbon skirt to an elementary school formal day. Manitoba Senator Mary Jane McCallum put forward a bill in Parliament to recognize January 4th as National Ribbon Skirt Day, and the bill was passed in 2022.
Ribbon skirts are often gifted to express gratitude, love and congratulations. They are prepared through prayer and smudged through ceremony by the crafter.
To learn more, check out these articles:
Story of the Ribbon Skirt - Seven Generations Education Institute