Tuesday’s celebration of male and two-spirit Indigenous groups aimed to teach Edmontonians what it means to engage in culture “from a healthy perspective,” organizers say. Walk a Mile in a Ribbon Shirt day was inspired by its skirt counterpart, which typically falls on Sept. 16 and celebrates Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people who wear ribbon skirts in urban places. A ribbon shirt is similarly a traditional Indigenous garment often made from cotton and decorated with rows of colourful ribbon across the chest, shoulders and sleeves. Like the events, it’s the counterpart to the ribbon skirt. Edmonton’s first-ever Ribbon Skirt Day was in 2023. “The Walk a Mile in a Ribbon Skirt day was a huge success … We wanted the men and women to have their own space,” Chevi Rabbit, who helped found both days, said on Tuesday. The men’s event included speakers, food and a small walk around Kakio Studio Cafe, an Indigenous-owned creative hub in central Edmonton. “We are in a reconciliation era. This is one of those days when Edmontonians can learn about Indigenous culture, learn about rich history, but from a (healthy) man’s perspective,” Rabbit said. Lance Cardinal of Big Stone Cree Nation said the walk was a “great day to remember who we are as men … What it means to be an Indigenous man.” “This day is a great chance for everyone to come together to talk about culture, traditions and talk about the ribbon shirt, which is a visual sort of reminder of who we are as Indigenous people.” Cardinal added that the point is to get everyone involved. “If you see us walking out there with our ribbon shirts and ribbon skirts, you can join us. We’re all a part of this city. We’re all a part of this community. The more that we understand each other, hear each other, join hands, walk together, the better we’re going to be as a city.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Brandon Lynch
