Reporting in Mi'kma'ki
Reporting in Mi’kma’ki is a Mi’kmaw-led experiential journalism course
One stitch at a time
Reclaiming and sharing cultural knowledge through ribbon skirts
By: Jessie Bruce
Three nights a week Jill Paul teaches Mi’kmaw women to sew ribbon skirts in her community of Sipekne'katik.
Paul was inspired to start the class based on a need she saw in her own life. She struggled to provide regalia for her five children who dance in powwows.
“It’s really quite expensive to get regalia for all of them so I decided to teach myself how to sew.”
She was determined to learn and spread the knowledge she gained to the rest of her community.
Jill Paul explains the next step in making her ribbon skirt to community member Courtney Knockwood. (Photo Credit: Jessie Bruce)
With the help of Sipekne'katik’s Employment and Training Centre and donations, Paul opened the sewing room in November of 2022.
Paul invited Chief Michelle Glasgow to share her knowledge for the first class but when Glasgow was called away partway through, Paul stepped up to lead.
“So I was teaching and learning at the same time.”
Desks with sewing machines form a circle around the room and cabinets on the wall are stocked with patterned fabric and a rainbow of ribbons which Paul says allows everyone to express themselves.
Jill Paul shows the various ribbon skirts she’s made. (Photo Credit: Jessie Bruce)
Ribbon skirts are traditional garments worn by many First Nations women, girls and Two-Spirit people to symbolize strength and cultural connection.
“Nowadays people wear [a ribbon skirt for] more than just traditional and ceremonies. You can wear it knee length, middle of your leg and down to your ankles. And the ones that are down to your ankles are for ceremonial and the other ones are just mainstream.”
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Jill Paul shares why teaching ribbon-skirt making is important to her. (VIDEO: Paul Robinson)
Paul has gained more confidence and ability since starting the class. She has shared her knowledge with over 300 people in the last year and a half. She also makes ribbon skirts to raffle off so she can bring further resources into the sewing room.
Paul says she devotes so much time to keep this aspect of her culture alive for everyone in her community, including her family.
She’s gained more skills and has made more regalia for her children to dance in the powwows; including grass dancer regalia, a jingle dress, and two fancy shawl regalias.
Jill Paul’s children at a Sipekne’katik Mawio’mi. (Photo courtesy: Jill Paul)
Paul is hands-on with her teaching. She’s always nearby as people work on their skirts. When they’re ready to move on to the next step she gives further instruction in her gentle tone.
The quiet hum of sewing machines is punctuated by participants’ laughter and conversations.
Paul says she wants the sewing room to be a safe and enjoyable place for the community to collaborate and learn from each other.
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Paul encourages anyone in her class to give her tips and tricks. She wants to expand the class beyond ribbon skirts.
“I am currently learning, myself, how to make vests so that way I can teach the men in my community how to make ribbon vests and then ribbon shirts, and eventually I want to teach our community how to make full regalias."
“I just want to gain as much knowledge as I can,” Paul says. “My goal is to keep sharing.”
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She’s already making an impact in the community.
Paul says those who take the class are inspired to keep making ribbon skirts. Some have even started selling them to help provide for their families.
“It makes me feel good [and] it warms my heart because I get to show my people our old traditional clothing and I get to teach my children that as well," she says."And it's all about keeping our culture alive.”
