Joleen Mitton, a Cree woman who was born and raised in East Vancouver, says she’s proud to see so many people wearing ribbon skirts today.⁠ ⁠ “It means to me resilience, beauty, womanhood,” said Mitton, the founder of Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week. ⁠ ⁠ Jan. 4, 2023, marks the first National Ribbon Skirt Day, a day where Indigenous women across the country are encouraged to wear ribbon skirts to celebrate their culture, their strength and their connection as women.⁠ ⁠ National Ribbon Skirt Day comes from the story of Isabella Kulak, a young girl shamed by a staff member at her Saskatchewan elementary school for wearing a ribbon skirt to a formal event at the school in 2020.⁠ ⁠ When Kulak returned to school after the holidays on Jan. 4, 2021, a crowd of women wearing ribbon skirts led her to class, along with chiefs from surrounding the First Nations, as a show of support.⁠ ⁠ “I think this movement, especially growing up without any representation in any schools when I was growing up, I think it’s really beautiful,‘’ said Mitton.⁠ ⁠ The meaning behind the ribbon skirts varies by First Nation, Mitton said, and different colours have different meanings for different people.⁠ ⁠ To learn more about National Ribbon Skirt Day, tap the link in bio. #Indigenous #NationalRibbonSkirtDay #CBCNews #BritishColumbia