An AO Cultural Workshop
AO hosts a series of Ribbon Skirt & Shirt Workshops throughout the year. In these workshops, members of the Indigenous community can participate to sew Ribbon Skirts or Shirts, creating an environment in which they can connect with their culture and reclaim their identity. Please note that currently this program is paused and will return based on funding capabilities.
These workshop are one of our cultural workshops at AO and is currently unfunded, functioning solely by community donations. All materials and machines in this program are free to our Indigenous participants and serves as a source of cultural reclamation. If you would like to support this program, please consider supporting our Amazon Wishlist to provide us materials or contribute through our donation portal below.
What Are Ribbon Skirts & Shirts?
Ribbon Skirts & Shirts, to some Indigenous communities, may be considered a post-colonial version of regalia that honours & represents Indigenous culture. Some ribbon skirts appear as an A-line skirt, usually in a cotton fabric that is lined with silk ribbons of various colors.
Ribbon shirts are pullover shirts with a V-neck & long sleeves that end in cuffs. They are one example of an adapting & enduring Indigenous garment. The beauty of the Ribbon shirt is the intricate ribbon appliqué designs that are sewn onto the shirts. Ribbon Shirts are especially popular regalia pieces for male dancers or for men to wear at celebrations. They are made with similar materials to Ribbon skirts & their design will commonly have ribbons sewn into the yoke of the shirt, into seams & at times in tassels.
History
Ribbon skirts are not bound to one specific tribe & are influenced by the traditional ceremonial ribbon skirts of the Northern Plains Tribes. Pre-European contact there were no ribbons, women wore dresses made from leather & the decorating was done using feathers, shells, leather, etc.
For many years, Indigenous traditional garments were often made with animal hide. Ribbon work itself has origins in the Great Lakes during the late 17th century as French & English settlers traded goods including wool, cotton & silk. The method of ribbon work, ‘Ribbon Appliqué’ for some Nations, has become a visual representation for Indigenous identity & is a significant traditional art form. The bright colored silk ribbons were used for some Nations in ceremonial offerings, dances, clothing & regalia. Ribbon work has had a resurgence in some communities & Nations in recent years, with a rise occurring in the 1970s along with many Indigenous rights movements since then.
Significance
Ribbon skirts represent our own personal reclamation. It represents reclaiming identity & wearing that identity proudly.
Nations have different techniques of applying the ribbon, using spirit colors, or colors that are sacred to their community. For some, the design & ribbon colours depend on the creativity & spiritual journey of the wearer, each ribbon skirt & shirt has a personal significance, a story.
For some Nations, the Ribbon skirt & shirt are a symbol of heritage, pride, resilience, survival & honour. They can be worn as a way for Indigenous people to represent themselves, their communities, or their individuality. The various colours & patterns can provide freedom for the individual to express themselves & explore their lineage, culture, medicines & traditional practices.
Ribbon skirts are about empowering women, remembering our sacredness & it reminds us that we are resilient. A woman has the power to bring new life — she is protection because she is a woman. Having that understanding, you learn boundaries. The bottom of the skirt touches the earth’s medicines so that as the woman walked, Mother Earth would know who it was that was making their presence felt on her back & their prayers were answered accordingly. This is also said to help heal your spirit & connection to the creator & earth. Ribbon skirts may also empower Indigenous women & two-spirit individuals to reclaim their culture, personal identity & power.
Teachings behind the Ribbon skirt vary from tribe to tribe. It can be an expression of womanhood & strength, or a representation of the journey of those who are reclaiming their identities through traditional practices. There are many different meanings belonging to the colours, materials & the number and length of the ribbons on our skirts. This is something that is specific & unique to each teaching and each nation & I encourage you to reach out to Knowledge Keepers & Elders of your Community to learn more about your own traditions & Protocol.
The traditional Ribbon Shirt represents honour, respect, heritage, pride & identification with one’s culture & given teaching. With over 550 different tribes & Nations in North America, each may have its own story about the Ribbon Shirt, ribbons & colours. The traditional colours of a tribe, colours to match regalia or personal colours that are unique to the individual may be selected. I encourage you to reach out to Knowledge Keepers & Elders of your Community to learn more about your own traditions & Protocol.
Registration is currently closed for this program.
