RECOGNIZING RIBBON SKIRTS: CLOTHING AS CULTURAL HERITAGE

 Breaking the Glass Case | Chantelle Perreault

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Last December, 10-year old Saskatchewan student Bella Kulak, of Cote First Nation, was criticised by a teaching aid for wearing a ribbon skirt to her school’s Formal Day: the ribbon skirt, an item of traditional clothing within multiple Indigenous communities, was not recognised by the school employee as appropriate for the event. When Kulak’s story was shared online by a family member, the student received an outpouring of support, both from within her community and across Canada. Supporters posted images of themselves in their own ribbon skirts, displaying pride in their traditions and demonstrating that there is an important connection between material culture and heritage. 

The wearing of a ribbon skirt, both as an everyday garment and as ceremonial attire, is a tradition that spans many Indigenous communities in Canada. As noted by the Milwaukee Public Museum, when Europeans arrived in North America, woven fabrics and ribbons were used to trade with Indigenous people, and they used these materials to create a variety of symbolic items, including the ribbon skirt.

Ribbon Skirt in the collection of the National Museum of the American Indian, acquired 1950 (catalogue no. 21/4934)

Ribbon skirts are made with a unique process of applique, wherein ribbons of diverse colours are sewn onto a base fabric, using methods of cutting and folding to create patterns. This practice of ribbon-work began in the late 19th century in the Great Lakes region, eventually moving westward towards the prairies and increasing in prominence. However, coinciding with community displacement and assimilation efforts, the practice began to lose popularity in the late 19th century. In the first half of the 20th century, museums increasingly began to acquire and display ribbon-work and today museums across North America have ribbon skirts within their collections.

The practice of ribbon-work re-emerged in the second half of the 20th century, alongside Indigenous cultural resurgence movements and Indigenous activism movements, specifically in western Canada. Ribbon skirts can come in a variety of forms, some more simple and some more elaborate, incorporating many different colours and motifs. The colours of the ribbons used can convey symbolism, reflecting ties to nature and land, or to political movements and initiatives such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). Today, ribbon skirt teachings and customs can vary from community to community, and colours and motifs can indicate diverse meanings. 

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Clothing acts as an important connection to one’s cultural heritage and identity. As noted by Seneca College News, it can demonstrate a connection to family and ancestry, and it can give the wearer feelings of safety and security. The ribbon skirt is an example of the connection between clothing and heritage, and reminds us that the items we see in museums exist not only within their museum context, but within a community context as well.