Children in Timmins learn about ribbon skirts as part of an Indigenous culture workshop

The Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre is offering a series of Indigenous Culture Workshops, once per month. They are hosted in partnership with Timmins Native Friendship Centre and the Early ON Child and Family Centre.

The facilitator for the first session, Vanessa Genier, is known as the founder of 'Quilts for Survivors'. She was asked to share her knowledge of ribbon skirts.

"We used to wear hide skirts or dresses and as settlers came to North America then we had access to other material and silk ribbons," said Genier.

A ribbon skirt is "in the same shape as a tipi which you know mothers are the heart of the home and the tipi used to be our home. Our skirts are a reflection of us, to the ancestors, to the spirit world and to Mother Earth, thanking them for our gifts and for our role as women in society."

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Families with children under the age of 12 were welcome to attend the free session and pizza lunch.

"When we lived in smaller communities we knew everyone, we shared stories as we worked and played and I think that’s what this is," said Genier.

Amanda Coulas of Timmins brought her daughter and grandmother to the workshop.

"I just recently got my own ribbon skirt so it’s very fun to participate in something like this," said Coulas.

"My mum never wore one, but my grandmother did because she came from up Moosonee. She always wore a skirt, I had never seen her in pants," added Helen McLeod, Coulas' grandmother.

Organizers said learning about Indigenous culture is a way to get involved in reconciliation and the ribbon skirt crafting session is the first of four workshops that will be hosted at the Timmins Museum over the next few months.

For more information on the upcoming workshops, follw the museum's Facebook page.