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Ribbon work
Ribbon work is an appliqué technique for clothing and dance regalia among Prairie and Great Lakes indigenous peoples.
The ribbons are layered on top of each other with pieces cut out to create optically active designs from both positive and negative space. The ribbons' edges are sewn with needles and cotton thread – later, with nylon thread. Designs and colors may be significant to particular clans. Specific patterns are passed from mother to daughters within families. Design elements can include floral designs, diamonds, stepped diamonds, crescents, hearts, circles, and double-curves.
Traditionally, Ribbon Skirts are worn in ceremonies or at special events, and are representative of a person’s unique diversity and strength. Women, girls and gender diverse people also wear them to express pride and confidence in their Indigenous identity and heritage.
Silk ribbons, brought to North America by European traders, inspired a new, uniquely North American art form. Mi'kmaq people created ribbon appliqué as early as 1611. The Meskwaki (English exonym Fox), amongst the signers of the great 1701 peace treaty of Montreal, also had early contact with the French. In 1789, the regime of the French Revolution decreed that clothing should be plain, so silk ribbons fell out of fashion in France and were exported to North America.
Consequently, the people of the northern plains who traded furs with the French became known for their ribbon work. They include Métis, Ojibwe, and Cree. Later, the art spread to many others. Initially, layers of ribbons were sewn on the edges of cloth, replacing painted lines on hide clothing and blankets. By the close of the 18th century, indigenous seamstresses created much more intricate appliqué ribbon work designs.
Today ribbon work can be seen on dance regalia at ceremonies and powwows. Ribbon work is applied to both men's and women's clothing and is incorporated into leggings, skirts, blankets, shawls, breechclouts, purses, shirts, vests, pillows, and other cloth items.
The Blood Tribe Police Service of Alberta, and the Anishinabek Police Service of Ontario have made a ribbon skirt part of their standard uniform when circumstances don't require a police duty belt.
The Women's Indigenous Network (WIN) of Canada's national police force, the RCMP obtained changes to uniform policy to allow wearing Eagle Feathers or a Métis sash, and an Indigenous ensign on name tags. WIN was started in 2021 by Sergeant Kelly Willis, from a Cree reserve at Chisasibi in northern Quebec, to support Indigenous women and Two-Spirit employees of the RCMP.
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Ribbon work
Ribbon work is an appliqué technique for clothing and dance regalia among Prairie and Great Lakes indigenous peoples.
The ribbons are layered on top of each other with pieces cut out to create optically active designs from both positive and negative space. The ribbons' edges are sewn with needles and cotton thread – later, with nylon thread. Designs and colors may be significant to particular clans. Specific patterns are passed from mother to daughters within families. Design elements can include floral designs, diamonds, stepped diamonds, crescents, hearts, circles, and double-curves.
Traditionally, Ribbon Skirts are worn in ceremonies or at special events, and are representative of a person’s unique diversity and strength. Women, girls and gender diverse people also wear them to express pride and confidence in their Indigenous identity and heritage.
Silk ribbons, brought to North America by European traders, inspired a new, uniquely North American art form. Mi'kmaq people created ribbon appliqué as early as 1611. The Meskwaki (English exonym Fox), amongst the signers of the great 1701 peace treaty of Montreal, also had early contact with the French. In 1789, the regime of the French Revolution decreed that clothing should be plain, so silk ribbons fell out of fashion in France and were exported to North America.
Consequently, the people of the northern plains who traded furs with the French became known for their ribbon work. They include Métis, Ojibwe, and Cree. Later, the art spread to many others. Initially, layers of ribbons were sewn on the edges of cloth, replacing painted lines on hide clothing and blankets. By the close of the 18th century, indigenous seamstresses created much more intricate appliqué ribbon work designs.
Today ribbon work can be seen on dance regalia at ceremonies and powwows. Ribbon work is applied to both men's and women's clothing and is incorporated into leggings, skirts, blankets, shawls, breechclouts, purses, shirts, vests, pillows, and other cloth items.
The Blood Tribe Police Service of Alberta, and the Anishinabek Police Service of Ontario have made a ribbon skirt part of their standard uniform when circumstances don't require a police duty belt.
The Women's Indigenous Network (WIN) of Canada's national police force, the RCMP obtained changes to uniform policy to allow wearing Eagle Feathers or a Métis sash, and an Indigenous ensign on name tags. WIN was started in 2021 by Sergeant Kelly Willis, from a Cree reserve at Chisasibi in northern Quebec, to support Indigenous women and Two-Spirit employees of the RCMP.