Imagine putting on your finest and being told it wasn’t good enough? That’s exactly what happened to 12-year-old Isabella Kulak. In 2020 the ten-year-old wore a ribbon skirt to school for “formal day” only to be told by school staff they didn’t consider the skirt to be formal wear.
Isabella told her family what happened, her aunt posted about it on Facebook and that started a wave of support that rolled across the nation. People from coast to coast sent Isabella letters and cards of support, more ribbon skirts and posted pictures of themselves wearing them.
The movement led Senator Mary Jane McCallum to put forward a bill to recognize National Ribbon Skirt Day. When it passed in 2022, Isabella said “now everybody can wear their ribbon skirt with pride without feeling ashamed.”
There are many teachings and customs related to ribbon skirts. Some Indigenous People have traditionally worn these skirts for ceremonial practices, while others adopted the use in everyday wear, and some do not observe these practices at all. For many wearing a ribbon skirt reflects their identity. It helps tell the story of their role in the community and are a statement of Indigenous pride.
Wearing the ribbon skirt has also become a symbol of activism to raise awareness for MMIWG2S+, Land Back, and Every Child Matters issues. Today ribbon skirts are worn by men, women, Two-Spirited, and gender-neutral folks, as well as non-Indigenous people at ceremonies, or as part of their daily outfits.
If you want a ribbon skirt of your own, to prevent cultural appropriation please purchase from an Indigenous artisan. If you have more questions and want to learn more, please reach out to the Community Relations team.