(OTTAWA) For the first time in Canada, this Wednesday is National Ribbon Skirt Day under a bill that received royal assent last month.
Among Aboriginal people, ribbon skirts are traditionally worn during ceremonies and special events and are representative of a person’s unique diversity and strength. Women, girls and people of diverse gender identities also wear them to express their pride and confidence in their Indigenous identity and heritage.
Isabella Kulak wore a colorful ribbon skirt to her rural school in Saskatchewan in 2020 when she was 10. However, a school staff member reportedly told her it wasn’t formal enough and the girl felt humiliated.
Each year, on January 4, National Skirt Tie Day will give Canadians the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the importance of Indigenous traditions and cultural expressions. The ribbon skirt is one of these traditions.
The bill was passed through the commitment and leadership of Isabella Kulak, her family, Saskatchewan First Nation Chief George Côté and Senator Mary Jane McCallum, as well as the Member of Parliament for Fredericton, Jenica Atwin.
Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller points out that Indigenous peoples have a right to dignity and the diversity of their cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations, but that the story of Isabella Kulak shows that too often this is not respected.
National Ribbon Skirt Day will help protect and defend these rights for generations to come, Minister Miller said.