National Ribbon Skirt and Shirt Day
National Ribbon Skirt and Shirt Day is held every year on January 4. The day is inspired by the experience of Isabella Kulak, an Indigenous girl in Saskatchewan who was shamed for wearing a Ribbon Skirt to a "formal dress day" at her elementary school. Prompted by Kulak's experience, Manitoba Senator Mary Jane McCallum put forward a bill in Parliament to recognize National Ribbon Skirt Day, which received unanimous support and was passed into law in December 2022. National Ribbon Skirt and Shirt Day is an opportunity for Indigenous people to wear their traditional regalia, celebrate their culture, honour their traditions and customs.
Sask DLC will honour National Ribbon Skirt and Shirt Day on January 7, 2026. We invite all students, staff and families, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to wear a Ribbon Skirt and/or Shirt. As an ally, it is important to understand the teachings of Ribbon Skirts and Shirts, to advocate for Indigenous people and to hold space for Indigenous people to lead when sharing their culture, customs and traditions.
Wearing a Ribbon Skirt or Shirt comes with cultural protocols, and we want to honour them with care:
Please purchase your Ribbon Skirt or Shirt from an Indigenous owned business.
You may also wear a Ribbon Skirt or Shirt made by Indigenous relatives or friends.
If you’ve been gifted a Ribbon Skirt or Shirt by an Indigenous person, that is also meaningful and appropriate to wear.
In honour of Ribbon Skirt and Shirt Day, we’ve created a K–12 learning resource package in our Resource Bank, complete with PowerPoints and student activities. To view the free resources, click here.
Create your own Ribbon Skirt or Shirt
With the resources below, you can create your own Ribbon Skirt or Shirt anytime and anywhere, while learning about the significance of Ribbon Skirt & Shirt Day and its enduring importance in Indigenous communities.
Resources
You can find printable templates of skirts and shirts, teacher materials, lessons and activities. Be sure to gather materials like small ribbons, flowers, sparkles, glue, and any other decorations you’d like to use.
Origin of Ribbon Skirt / Shirt Day
Learn about the origin of National Ribbon Skirt / Shirt Day and the protocol for wearing a Ribbon Skirt / Shirt.
Sharing
We love to celebrate student and family work through newsletters and social media so we invite you to share any photos or videos of designing, creating, or wearing a Ribbon Skirt / Shirt by sending them to communications@saskdlc.ca. Please ensure all images are FOIP compliant.
