A good crowd turned out for the first-ever ribbon skirt making workshop on Saturday, April 1, which was sponsored by Saint Peter Public Schools’ Native American Parent Advisory Committee (NAPAC). The event took place at the Saint Peter Middle School media center and was taught by Jennifer Warren, with her daughter Theresa Warren assisting.
According to the The Ribbon Skirt Project’s website, “Ribbon Skirts are a symbol of resilience, survival and identity, but their meaning changes with each person who wears one and each person who shares their history. For Indigenous peoples, the Ribbon Skirt represents our own personal reclamation. It represents reclaiming identity, and wearing that identity proudly.”
A wide variety of fabrics and colors of ribbon were used during the workshop, including some that came from Fire Mountain Fabrics in Brooklyn Park, a Native-owned and operated fabric store that carries Native-designed fabrics and supplies for ribbon and regalia projects.
“Ribbon skirts are very symbolic of the empowerment of women among Indigenous people, and also shows how proud they are of their culture,” John Warren, SPHS teacher and NAPAC member, said. “It was encouraging to see a lot of people attend this event, and the skirts they created were amazing.”
This event, along with other similar events held in the district this school year, was sponsored by NAPAC in an effort to share cultural knowledge of our Native American family, with the main focus on our youth.
See below for more photos from the ribbon skirt workshop!
