Regina Non-Profit Aims to Launch Ribbon Skirt Regalia Library for Youth
A Regina non-profit seeks to create a library for ribbon skirts, allowing youth to borrow regalia for ceremonies and events.
Regina, Canada, Ribbon Skirts, Indigenous Culture, Youth Empowerment
Regina: Claire Tuckanow often hears sewing machines buzzing at the mâmawêyatitân centre. She works with young people eager to create their own ribbon skirts.
“Can we just come and make a ribbon skirt?” they ask. It’s heartwarming for her to see that enthusiasm.
Tuckanow, a Métis-Cree woman from Okanese First Nation, coordinates with Growing Young Movers, a non-profit focused on mentoring marginalized youth. They recently got a grant to start a ribbon skirt regalia library.
Once it’s set up, young folks can borrow skirts and shirts for ceremonies or special occasions. Tuckanow was inspired by her own experiences with cultural practices and the significance of wearing a ribbon skirt.
“When you put on a skirt, you’re reclaiming that,” she explains. She has different skirts for various occasions, even wearing vibrant ones while grocery shopping because they make her feel beautiful.
Saturday is National Ribbon Skirt Day, a new observance established after a young girl faced shame for wearing a ribbon skirt to school in southern Saskatchewan.
Tuckanow noticed that urban Indigenous youth at the Regina centre were missing out on this tradition. Many have been displaced from their communities, losing touch with important cultural practices like wearing ribbon skirts.
These skirts can be hard to find and pricey, so Tuckanow decided to make them accessible. She sourced skirt kits from Edmonton and borrowed sewing machines from the centre’s library, even bringing in an Indigenous advocate to teach the youth.
There were some bumps along the way, but the group of 20 supported each other. One moment stood out for Tuckanow during their first class. She felt emotional watching them, realizing this was what their grandmothers had hoped for.
At their annual fall feast, she was amazed to see the girls proudly wearing their skirts. Now, the goal is to collaborate with elders to create more skirts for the library and find a space to store them.
Tuckanow also hopes to include ribbon shirts for boys. She emphasizes that anyone, including non-Indigenous people, can wear ribbon skirts as long as their intentions are respectful.
“We’re not contributing to intergenerational trauma,” she says. “We’re fostering intergenerational love through teaching and making cultural wear accessible.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2025.
— By Aaron Sousa in Edmonton
The Canadian Press