For Tala Tootoosis, a ribbon skirt is a powerful symbol of survival. Her grandmother attended a boarding school where she was forbidden to speak her language and the school tried to cut her hair. Despite her experiences, her grandmother encouraged her to wear ribbon skirts. Her culture has also helped Tootoosis battle her own issues. She says, “You could be on your first day sober and put on the ribbon skirt and remember you are not what happened to you.”
Source: Kelly Anne Smith. “The Ribbon Skirt: Symbol of surviving cultural genocide.” January 31, 2018. Anishinabek News. http://anishinabeknews.ca/2018/01/31/the-ribbon-skirt-symbol-of-surviving-cultural-genocide/