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From powwows to boardrooms, ribbon shirts are a visual symbol of Native pride. They can be subtle or showy, but ribbon shirts almost always have a hint of personal expression and tribal tradition. They are usually made from cotton or linen, often with long sleeves but not always, with colorful ribbons appliqued or sewn into seams as tassels. Like many Native fashion trends, ribbon shirts owe their origins and inspirations to a number of sources. We’ll spend the hour discussing the history and evolution of ribbon shirts.
Guests:
Darla Takes the Knife (enrolled with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) – Lakota and Dakota fashion designer
Lavender Hunt (Anishinaabe) – beadwork artist and sewist and an educator
Break 1 music: Tha Tribe (World) (song) Anthony Wakeman (artist) Butterfly Dreams – Native American Flute Music (album)
Break 2 music: Wim Ah I Wem, Tiwa (single) Gregg Analla (artist)
I look forward to hearing about Annie Mae Aquash (Mi’kmaq) and ribbon shirts history. as it relates to her life.
I hope to be able to tune in. I have a doctors appointment that day but will try. In my war dancing days I met a Nebraska Winnebago man, Mr. Lawrence Big Bear, who told me an interesting story about the origin of the ribbon shirt. The mini version is that when warriors were imprisoned they were given prisoner shirts. They cut off the cuffs and collars and made ribbons out of the scraps to emulate the fringe of their buckskin shirts. He said they didn’t want white man looking shirts. I hope to tune in Friday at 1 EDT