A young girl from Saskatchewan who was once shamed for wearing a piece of clothing will now see that same garment celebrated across the country.
In November 2021, Senator Mary Jane McCallum put forward a bill in Parliament to recognize National Ribbon Skirt Day. The bill passed on Dec. 15.
McCallum said that the day is to “provide an opportunity for everyone in Canada to recognize, learn about and celebrate the importance of Indigenous traditions and expressions of culture.”
The bill has been in the works since Isabella Kulak, a then 10-year-old girl and a member of the Cote First Nation in Saskatchewan was shamed for wearing a ribbon skirt at her school in December 2020.
The garment represents strength for First Nations women. The detailed work that goes into making it is considered sacred.
In December 2020, Isabella chose to wear a ribbon skirt to a formal event at her school.
After Isabella told her parents what happened, her story began to get a lot of attention from her community.
On Isabella’s first day back to school after the holidays, a crowd of women wearing ribbon skirts led her to class, along with chiefs from the surrounding First Nations.
That was on January 4, 2021.
Three years later, Isabella said she will return to school on January 4 wearing her ribbon skirt proudly on National Ribbon Skirt Day.
“It makes me really happy because lots of people can now wear their ribbon skirts” Isabella said. “I hope they are now proud of who they are.”
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