Ribbon Skirt Making Workshop for Kashechewan Evacuees

Artscan Circle and Xpera Risk Mitigation & Investigation Corp. came together once again to provide a Ribbon Skirt Making Workshop for community members from Kashechewan First Nation at the DoubleTree Fallsview Resort in Niagara Falls on May 15 & 16.

Kashechewan First Nation, situated along the Albany River in Northern Ontario, has been at the centre of an ongoing humanitarian situation, with families displaced from their homes and community for several months due to longstanding water infrastructure challenges.

The workshop was led by Deanne Hupfield, an Anishinaabe artist and cultural facilitator, and graduate of George Brown College's Fashion Techniques and Design program. Deanne has spent over a decade teaching powwow dance and Indigenous cultural traditions at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto and with the Toronto District School Board, and her work is rooted in the belief that cultural practice is a powerful source of healing; particularly for those living away from their home communities.

Over two days, Deanne guided participants through the art of ribbon skirt making, offering community members a meaningful space to create, connect, and find moments of joy and grounding amid ongoing displacement.