Residential school survivor Rita Martin lived decades before she wore her first ribbon skirt. Handmade with the help of her granddaughter, the skirt has the image of a mother and child, inspired by the Every Child Matters movement.
When she wore it, she said, she felt proud.
“It kind of gave back my identity, you know, reclaiming who I am – an Indigenous woman,” she said.
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Jan. 4 is National Ribbon Skirt Day in Canada. The day of recognition was established after Saskatchewan student Isabella Kulak faced backlash for wearing a ribbon skirt to school on a formal day.
Ribbon skirts are worn in Indigenous communities around the country; according to the National Ribbon Skirt Day Act, they are a symbol of womanhood and represent a direct connection to Mother Earth.
In Martin’s community, the skirts are worn to formal events like weddings and funerals. And she says, a woman cannot enter a sweat lodge without one.
Martin owns a fabric store, Baby Barn Fabrics, and now creates and sells ribbon skirts. She wants to pass on her culture to the community, especially her family.
“What I’ve lost, I want them to have. More,” she said.
To learn more about Martin and another local Indigenous seamstress, watch the video above.
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