Ṡaic’iye Nit̄̄ehep̄i Haƞska (Long Skirt for dressing up), Leona Antoine; Morning Star Designs by Leona Antoine

Ribbon skirts date back to the late 1700s when Great Lakes Plains tribes formed relationships with French traders and added new materials like ribbons to their traditional clothing patterns. Ribbon skirts and ribbon appliqué can tell stories passed down through generations, are used for ceremonies, and serve as symbols of defiance and solidarity. Ribbon skirts like this one gained popularity following the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in Standing Rock, South Dakota, where women made ribbon skirts for one another to pray and participate in ceremony together.