Niverville students take part in meaningful Ribbon Skirt Feast

A well-attended Ribbon Skirt Feast took place at Niverville High School Thursday night. What started as an extracurricular activity at the start of the school year, ended with a celebration and commissioning.

Knowledge Keeper and teacher, Patty Savies explains.

“So, we finished the skirts. We put all of our time and energy into them, and a feast is kind of a celebration and a ceremony to honour our time together. As well as put the skirts in a good place and take them to ceremony when we go.”

Katie Martin, teacher at the school says their students have been working on the skirts since the start of school in September, meeting once a month to sew.

Sayies tells us what these skirts mean to the Indigenous community. "So, whether you're First Nation or Métis, this is something that we do because we love to adorn ourselves and Creator told us to celebrate life, to look beautiful, to help other others look beautiful, and so that's why we make Ribbon Skirts, and that's why we wear them.”

Raelyn Voulgaris, Learning Support Teacher at Niverville High School, says student participation this year has overwhelming, and they’ve had to cap the class.

“The amount of support that the kiddos have in this building, has been pretty awesome. We've had teachers want to join, people from the community want to join, so, it's just been a really awesome experience this year.”

Martin adds that their group has also been quite diverse.

“They come from all different friendship groups. On the evenings when we're all together, everybody creates such a welcoming community, and everyone gets along and has such a great time.”

She says she’s noticed students spending time together throughout the day, not just at their once-a-month sewing evenings.

"They just show so much energy, and as the students have been finishing up their skirts in the last few weeks, the pride that they have when they put them on is unbelievable. And when they do, they prance around the school. Just so excited to show them off. It's like, really beautiful to see sharing this thing that they've made, but also part of their culture that they're so excited to celebrate.”

Sayies adds that the group didn’t just make Ribbon Skirts.

"We did make a ribbon vest for student. So, it wasn't just the people that identify as girls or people that wanted to make skirts, but it was also, you know, one of the male students that came and wanted to. Although he couldn’t finish his vest, we ended up making one for him. I hope that more students join.”

Martin adds, “Already lots of the students are saying, “I can't wait till I make my next one. This is what I want to do with it, or this is who I want to gift it to.”

Voulgaris compliments Sayies and says, “Patty, you reminded all the students that this was knowledge that you gifted to them. And that's knowledge that they now have to gift on to others. And so, it's exciting because now these students will be our leaders in the building that will take on next year. And they get to now show their skills and wear their skirts for the next and upcoming students who join our group. I hope it just grows and gets bigger and bigger, and it's going to be really awesome to see these kiddos who don't always get a chance to, you know shine, shine.”

Martin, the Niverville teacher says Indigenous extracurricular activities have been added since opening the new facility in 2019. “And last year, we had a group of students who worked with a Knowledge Keeper to design our Orange Shirt Day shirts, and so, this (making Ribbon Skirts) just felt like a natural next step.”

Voulgaris adds that students have been asking for more activities. “So, it seems this just started the fire, and we have lots to add to it. The beautiful thing is a lot of these kiddos will be with us next year as well. So, this is just the beginning. We've just gotten started. This is very surface level. We'll be digging deeper for next year for sure.”

She says, because the students are asking for more of these kinds of extra-curricular activities, she and Martin connected with Sayies who, “took them under her wing.”

“Indigenous education is Patty's (Sayies) passion, and it definitely fueled my passion. And, you know, when we started thinking, what can we do with students here in Niverville, the first person I thought of was Patty. And by bringing her in, she's just so gracious with her time and knowledge, and the kids are thirsty for it. They love what she has to say, and when we see the kids engrossed in an experience like this, they're zoned in, and listening to every single word, and it comes up months later that they remember every single thing you've said, it’s amazing.”

Martin shares, “This skirt, in my mind, is the small piece of it that I'm grateful to have walked away with this piece of clothing, but the experiences and the time that we spent together has been so rich. And every time we've met, and I'm driving home, I just think that was the best day ever. The experience has been so wonderful.”

Sayies is also grateful, “I left also left the school with my cup filled when. Whenever I leave here the students really gave me a lot.”