January 4 is newly celebrated as National Ribbon Skirt Day in Canada. The movement to recognize the importance of ribbon skirts to many Indigenous communities arose out of the experience of Cote First Nation youth Isabella Kulak, who was belittled by school staff in January 2021 for wearing a ribbon skirt to Kamsack Comprehensive Institute in Kamsack, Saskatchewan.
The community mobilized immediately to support Isabella, and it grew into a national movement to build pride in traditional Indigenous dress and resist ongoing assimilation in schools. January 4 became a nationally recognized date after Senator Mary Jane McCallum’s bill became law in December 2023.
Unifor members who identify as Indigenous are encouraged to take selfies with their ribbon skirts and write a message about what their skirt means to them on January 4, 2025 to help the union amplify the National Ribbon Skirt Day. Alternatively, members can send their photos to communications@unifor.org to be shared in a collective album online.
In solidarity,
Lana Payne
Unifor National President