#ndn pride

Canadian Senator Mary Jane McCallum introduced a bill in March 2021 to have the day formally recognized.

At the time, she said she was inspired by 10-year-old Isabella Kulak. The young Saskatchewan girl had been shamed for wearing her ribbon skirt at school, just a few months earlier.

Bill S-219 received royal assent and passed in Parliament in December. National Ribbon Skirt Day will be held every Jan. 4.

In Indigenous culture, ribbon skirts can be worn in ceremonies or special events, but Lewis said they can also be worn every day. Each skirt is different and reflects the identity and personality of the owner.

Isabella Kulak, a member of the Cote First Nation, Sask., wears a skirt she made herself. In 2021, she was told her ribbon skirt was not dressy enough for a formal event at school, and shamed for wearing it. (Submitted by Lana Kulak)

January 04, 2023

Happy Worlds Indigenous Peoples day! I made my first ribbon skirt with the help of an Auntie ❤️ ft me wielding a pick axe 😂

Image description:

{a slender, tan person is visible from the nose down and standing outside in a woodsy area. They are wearing a white v-neck tee, a beaded black, red, and yellow medallion, a ribbon skirt with a rose/camo print and white, yellow, red, and black ribbons at the base, and black converse shoes. They are holding a pickaxe over their shoulder.}