War in Ukraine | Indigenous people show their solidarity by wearing a headscarf

Indigenous people across the country show solidarity with the people of Ukraine by wearing a Kokum scarf.

They share, since the beginning of the Russian invasion, more than a week ago, photos or videos showing them wearing this garment

These scarves are often imbued with floral designs in bright hues. Traditionally, they are worn by the ancestors. “Kokum” means grandmother in the Cree language.

According to oral history, these garments were worn by the first Slavic immigrants to come to Canada in the early 1890s.

Tania Cameron, an Anishinaabe, was watching the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from her home in Kenora, Ontario, when she felt the need to express her solidarity with Ukrainians on both sides of the ocean.

“There are Ukrainians in our towns and villages who are going through a very difficult time. They are not my people, but we are connected, so I will support them,” Ms.^me Cameron in interview.

Tania Cameron noticed the solidarity campaign on social media and decided to participate.

She found Kokum scarves in indigenous and Ukrainian shops. It distributes it nationwide.

M^me Cameron also held a raffle with proceeds going to the Red Cross.

An elderly Ukrainian from Kenora found out what Mr.^me Cameron and asked if it was possible for her to hand-deliver scarves. The two spent time sharing their stories over coffee.

“It was a moving moment when I was welcomed into her home,” said Ms.^me Cameron. She gave me her grandmother’s scarf and gave me sunflower seeds to thank me for my efforts. »

The sunflower, the floral emblem of Ukraine, has become a symbol of peace and solidarity.

Similarities

Square scarves are known by different names including khustkas, hustkas or babushkas.

Stories of exchanges between First Nations, Métis and Ukrainian women were passed on to families on all three sides.

M^me Cameron remembers wearing a Kokum scarf as a child.

“We wore them when we went blueberry picking to try to keep bugs out of our heads and ears in the bush in the summer. »

She said she was surprised when she found out where the scarves came from. According to her, it makes sense that Anishinaabe and Cree women would appreciate them, as floral motifs are often present in their works.

Scarves are often used today as a fashion accessory by Aboriginal women and men. Powwow dancers incorporate them into their ceremonial attire.

Traditionally, Slavic women wore them when they were married and afterwards, said Ukrainian author Marion Mutala. Women also wore them for protection when working outdoors and for different celebrations.

M^me Mutala is the author of a children’s series called Baba’s Babushkawhich is based on her relationship with her own deceased grandmother when she was four years old.

About seven years after writing her first book, M^me Mutala met an indigenous man at a book fair who told him about the importance of the headscarf in indigenous communities.

She decided to research the relationship between indigenous peoples and Ukrainians. His book Kohkum’s Babushka came out in 2017.

“I looked at the commonalities we had. The Métis have the violin and the Ukrainians too. We have a lot of identical beadwork and spiritual life. There are a lot of similarities,” she said over the phone from her home in Saskatoon.

Tamara Malcolm remembers using the scarves as a teenager when she danced at powwows. The Anishinaabe woman remembers her great-grandmother wearing one, but, like Tania Cameron, she only recently learned of the story.

M^me Malcolm owns a bead shop in Serpent River First Nation in northern Ontario.

“I have a Kokum scarf hanging outside my store to symbolize my solidarity with Ukraine,” she said.

M^me Malcolm started selling the scarves a year ago, but the pandemic shut down large gatherings like powwows, so the items remained on his shelves.

Now she has decided to donate half of the sales of each scarf to humanitarian efforts for Ukraine. The owner says she sold nearly 120 last week and only has a handful left.

This article was produced with the financial support of the Facebook and The Canadian Press News Fellowships.