The Life of an Indigenous Dressmaker | Featuring Agnes Woodward of ReeCreeations [CC]

Gerd November 19, 2021

November is Native American Heritage Month, and so today's video is an interview with Plains Cree Indigenous dressmaker and ribbon skirt maker, Agnes Woodward of ReeCreeations.

The daughter of a residential school survivor, Agnes is not only spreading awareness about ribbon skirt making and honouring Indigenous dressmaking traditions and practices, she is also an advocate for residential school survivors (and children of residential school survivors) and well as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S).

If you would like to make a donation to The Lester Howse Fund, a link can be found here through Global Giving and Seeding Sovereignty: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/the-lester-howse-fund/

CW: Themes related to residential schools and violence.

Additionally, all of the monetisation of this video will be going to the Lester Howse Fund, so please share it with your friends so we can raise more money.

It was truly an honour to interview Agnes for this video and listen to her experiences and the beautiful wisdom she had to share.

Thank you so much for watching and I hope you enjoyed learning about Indigenous dressmaking.

Yours, etc.
V. Birchwood

Links to ReeCreeations' Social Media:
ReeCreeations' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reecreeations/
Agnes' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agneswoodward/?hl=en
Website: https://www.bonfire.com/store/reecreeations/

All music is from Epidemic Sound.

Sources:
Skirt, Mesquakie, Early 1900s: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skirt,_Mesquakie,_early_1900s,_wool,_ribbon,_glass_beads,_sequins_-_Glenbow_Museum_-_DSC00890.JPG
Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Historical Photo of Blackfoot Tipis:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blackfoot_tipis.jpg

Time Stamps:
0:00 Introducing Agnes Woodward of ReeCreeations
2:24 Honouring Residential School Survivors & The Lester Howse Fund
7:59 Why Is It Important Indigenous Dressmaking Practices Are Passed On?
9:33 What Does the Ribbon Skirt Represent (to You)?
13:54 What Was It Like Making the Ribbon Skirt Worn by Deb Haaland?
16:42 What Are Some of the Challenges You Have Faced?
20:45 Are There Any Colours You Gravitate Towards?
23:07 What Materials Do You Use?
25:18 How Did You Learn Indigenous Dressmaking?
26:56 How Can Others Support Indigenous Artists and Indigenous People?

#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #IndigenousDressmaking #MMIWG2S