CPN Tribal member Addison Bristow won first place in the Pottawatomie County 4-H Fabrics and Fashion Contest for her ribbon skirt. 4-H is a youth development organization focused on hands-on learning. The 11-year-old designed and sewed the pink ribbon skirt, featuring a strawberry pattern accented with red, white and black ribbon, with guidance from her mother and grandmother.
The project was more than a contest for Bristow. She attached a piece of paper to the skirt explaining the cultural meaning behind her design:
“The fabric that I chose has a special meaning. In my Tribe’s culture, the strawberry, also known as the heart berry, is an important fruit. Potawatomi ancestors believed they were a gift from the Creator. The strawberry represents womanhood and becoming a caretaker.”
Bristow, a Toupin family descendant, said she was inspired to make her own ribbon skirt after learning about different regalia during a Native American Student Association (NASA) meeting.
“My favorite part about making the ribbon skirt was picking out the fabric,” she said.
With support from her family, Bristow learned new sewing skills throughout the process.
“From my grandmother, I learned how to hem my skirt, make a gather and create a skirt without a pattern,” she said. “From my mother, I learned how to pin and sew ribbon onto my skirt.”
Bristow was one of six contest participants in the intermediate level.
A contest judge noted, “She did a nice job placing and keeping her ribbon straight and pucker free, and good placement on her skirt. Waistband used a more advanced technique being set in case elastic band. Then she added her personal touch with ribbon on the waistband. Her seams were of correct width and with a zigzag finish. Total garment was properly pressed.”
Upon learning she won first place, Bristow said she felt “excited and proud.”
Her grandmother, Patricia Heer, was honored when Bristow wanted guidance on learning how to sew.
“As a non-Native mother and grandmother, I have made it my mission to learn as much as I can about my husband’s CPN Tribal culture,” said Heer. “I have used this knowledge to encourage my children and grandchildren to be proud of their culture and to participate. I am beyond proud of Addison.”
Guiding Addison through the project was also meaningful for her mother, Lauren Bristow.
“Not only did this project focus on building a skillset (sewing), it also provided the opportunity to connect to culture,” she said. “She was very mindful of every detail, from selecting a fabric with a meaningful Potawatomi image to coordinating the ribbon.”
Lauren said she feels a responsibility to “teach, sustain and foster” Potawatomi culture for her children just as her parents did for her.
“As a people, we have endured many attempts to strip us of our identities, culture and way of life. It is important that we teach our next generation,” she said.
Sewing has been passed down through generations in Bristow’s family. As the great-granddaughter of Francis “Bernard” Heer, an early member of the CPN Business Committee, Addison is the fourth generation to sew and hopes to continue creating cultural items in the future.