Richard (Rick) Kagigebi

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe

With roughly 40 years of blanket making, the wife said that she would like a skirt.

But I make blankets.

So now, I occasionally make skirts.

And with that, I was told by an elder that you could identify a person by the skirt they wore.  Given personal information, I try my best to interpret who that person is.

A young relative had just gone thru ceremony, in which I was very proud. She took a shine to the background material so I asked her to pick ribbons she would like on it. I chose addition ribbons to represent her children (with the older watching over the younger) and her favorite colors. Side ribbons show her walking the red road. Walking beside her and watching over her are grandmothers, especially, her own grandmother who crossed over so many years ago.

I was given tobacco to make this skirt. Based on her information, this is the skirt I produced. It includes her Ojibwe name, clan, and her position in one particular ceremony. This information is not for me to verbally tell. Also included are her favorite colors. That she is a grandmother. She walks with her clan. Fond memories of an elder that took her under her wing. And to help her walk with balance in her spiritual and physical paths. This is how I see her.