01/05/2026
January 4 was National Ribbon Skirt Day, a day inspired by Isabella Kulak of Cote First Nation. In 2020, Isabella was told her handmade ribbon skirt wasn’t “formal enough” to wear to her school’s event and was told to change. Her story sparked a powerful movement, with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people sharing their ribbon skirts in pride and solidarity.
Canada’s violent history with Indigenous peoples is often spoken about as something that happened long ago. Isabella’s experience reminds us that a lack of cultural safety and cultural humility continues to impact First Nations people today. This ongoing harm contributes to intergenerational trauma and the grief that accompanies it - grief that must be recognized, honoured, and addressed.
Similar forms of grief are often felt in the HIV and Harm Reduction sector, where Peers and Clients are frequently told to change their behaviours or adapt to the dominant social norms rather than having their realities understood and supported. This is especially true for Indigenous Peers. This is evident in the closure of Harm Reduction sites across the province and their replacement with HART Hubs. While these hubs offer mental health and addictions services - such as assessment, brief treatment, counselling, structured psychotherapy, Rapid Access Addiction Medicine, detox, and addictions medication - the model doesn't meet people where they're at, acknowledge intergenerational trauma, or address social determinants of health.
National Ribbon Skirt Day is an opportunity to learn, reflect, and recommit to cultural safety. It is also a reminder that Truth and Reconciliation is not confined to a single day or month, but is an ongoing responsibility that requires listening, accountability, and sustained action.
