Ribbon Skirt Day
Full day
January 4, 2023
Wear your skirts to school for the occasion.
The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Aboriginal Relations, announced that Bill S-219, An Act respecting National Ribbon Skirt Day, received Royal Assent on December 15, 2022, and is now an Act of Parliament.
This bill was passed thanks to the commitment and leadership of Isabella Kulak, her family, Chief George Côté of Cote First Nation - Treaty 4 Territory, Saskatchewan, and Senator Mary Jane McCallum, and Fredericton MLA Jenica Atwin, who began championing the cause after Isabella was humiliated for wearing her ribbon skirt to school.
Traditionally, ribbon skirts are worn for ceremonies and special events, and are representative of a person's unique diversity and strength. Women, girls and people of diverse gender identities also wear them to express pride and confidence in their aboriginal identity and heritage.
Every year on January 4, National Ribbon Skirt Day gives all Canadians the opportunity to recognize, learn about and celebrate the importance of Aboriginal traditions and cultural expressions. The ribbon skirt is one such tradition.
On National Ribbon Skirt Day, we can learn from Isabella's experience. We can fight racism and discrimination against Aboriginal people by raising awareness of Aboriginal ways of knowing and being, and by celebrating those ways.
