On Ribbon Skirts
MAKE-YOUR-OWN RIBBON SKIRT KITS:
Check out our NEW Ribbon Skirt Kits here!
To honour and increase accessibility to the sacred cultural practice of Ribbon Skirt making, we are testing out a new Ribbon Skirt Kit product! These make-your-own kits include 100% cotton fabric and a selection of beautiful ribbons, as well as thread, a few other handy tools, and instructions. We are currently offering adult-size skirt kits and will have child-size skirt kits coming soon!
THE HISTORY AND SYMBOLISM OF RIBBON SKIRTS
by Karen Bisson
Since the dawn of time, Indigenous Peoples have adorned themselves with all manner of symbols that speak to an awareness of their place in the Universe. Early ceremonialists took great care with every item they chose to adorn themselves with, recognizing that each item held great meaning and was used as a conduit for knowledge, power, and the ability to commune with the Great Spirit and Spirit helpers. Many of these symbols evolved to become identifiers of individuals and later of communities.
A skirt is a powerful ceremonial item. Its round shape is symbolic of the “great hoop of life”, continuity, the interconnectedness of all things, the cycles of the seasons and life and death, the sacredness of all circular aspects, such as the planets, stars, moon and so on. Throughout the world, the tradition of wearing of ceremonial skirts goes back almost as far as ceremony itself.
You may be surprised to know that skirts were traditionally worn in ceremony by both men and women, and that there are still many Indigenous ceremonies being practiced today here on Turtle Island that require both women and men to wear them. But these days, at most public Indigenous gatherings, you will find that only the women are expected to wear skirts while men are not. It’s not that men are not allowed to wear them. It’s that women have a special right/rite and thus are generally expected to wear them.
Depending on the situation, woman have sometimes been scolded or even escorted off the grounds for not wearing a skirt on ceremonial grounds. Many people still don’t fully understand and have assumed that this practice is about the oppression of woman. But in fact, it is the opposite. For women, wearing a skirt is not a sentence, it is both a sacred right and a sacred rite. Men too have the right to wear a skirt to ceremony, but the rite belongs to women. Women are said to be endowed with this rite because of their role in the sacred hoop of life as the life-bringers, as evidenced by their cyclical Moontime (menses) and ability to give birth. So, when a woman wears a skirt to ceremony it is said to show respect for herself and for the rites she has been gifted with. It is thought, by some, that a woman dishonours those gifts and Great Spirit by not wearing her skirt during ceremony.
If one could peer back far enough in time, its possible we might find that wearing a skirt was a great honour bestowed only upon the highest levels of spiritual leadership among tribes. Clothing of any kind, be it animal or plant-based, would no doubt have been harder to come by the further you go back. Many Indigenous tribes on Turtle Island were also matrilineal. That too had bearing on today’s traditions. Countless factors have converged over time to culminate in today’s traditions.
Highly resourceful, Indigenous People have always taken care to utilize everything they acquire in the best way possible. When the colonizers landed on the shores of Turtle Island in the early 1600's, a massive spike in trade ensued.
After the French revolution in 1789, aristocratic fashions in France were seen as an evil that needed to be suppressed. Expensive silks, taffetas, velvets, and ribbons were prohibited as the new government tried to dictate an order of equality, rather than privilege. These items were imported to the Americas where creative, Indigenous women quickly adopted the practice of sewing ribbons onto regalia and daily wear.
Following more than 200 years of violent clashes and the brutal theft of Indigenous land, in 1885 the colonial government created the Indian Act, which contained laws intended as a form of cultural genocide. For a long time, ceremonial practices were banned, and ceremonial items and regalia were taken from Indigenous people, and, in most cases, never returned. In 1951, amendments to the Indian Act removed the bans and Indigenous People were allowed to reclaim their culture and practices.
Ribbon Skirts have become a powerful symbol of that reclamation. They are everything ceremonial skirts have always represented and are now so much more as symbols of resilience and belonging. For many, the Ribbon Skirt has become a suit of armour – cultural protection against assimilation and degradation – as well as a reminder of our roles in our community.
Today’s ribbon skirt is a hand-made garment that gets its name from the rows of colourful ribbons sewn along the bottom or sides. They are worn at ceremonial events, powwows, and for some as everyday wear. Symbolic appliqués are often added to the skirt, lending power and beauty to the wearer. These images are often deeply personal to the wearer.
Ribbon Skirts tells our stories. Each symbol and color have meaning. Teachings about colors and their meanings sometimes vary from tribe to tribe (for example, the colour yellow typically symbolizes the east). There are far too many beautiful teachings about colours and other symbols to go into here. We encourage you to find an Elder or Knowledge Keeper in your area to learn more.
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