We Are The Lodge showcases ribbon skirts and shirts created by youth ages 17–20 during a series of workshops held at Esker Foundation in collaboration with Discovering Choices alternative high schools. Guided by Indigenous mentor Pearl White Quills, and supported by her daughter Justice White Quills, participants learned foundational sewing skills while exploring the cultural significance of ribbon skirts as symbols of the body, the earth, and the divine. Over four sessions, fourteen participants crafted ribbon skirts and shirts that reflect both personal expression and ancestral memory. This exhibition honors the act of making as a form of remembering—where each skirt becomes a vessel of personal and collective meaning, stitched with resilience, ceremony, and connection.

Biography

Pearl White Quills, blessed with the name Aa Koa Miyanist Tsi’nih Kiaki (Sings Many Different Songs Woman), is a Niitsítapiaki (Blackfoot Woman) artist from Siksikáí’tsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy). Pearl is an old-style jingle dress Powwow dancer, traditional hand drum singer, seamstress, professional beadwork artist, and mentor, teaching community and creating authentic handmade Indigenous crafts through her flourishing family business, Bright Swan Creations. Special thanks to: Discovering Choices Schools, the CBE Indigenous Education Team, and the wonderful teachers who made this all possible.