Mi'kmaw designer makes gown with birchbark bodice, hopes to motivate youth to learn about culture

After sitting in storage since 2019, abirchbark gown finally found the spotlight this past weekend at an Indigenous fashion show in New Brunswick.

Sgoagani Wecenisqon designed the piece that features a birchbark bodice with Mi'kmaw designs sewn in. It also features lace floral details on the gown's long black skirt.

Wecenisqon, who is Mik'maw from Esgenopetitj First Nation, started designing only a few years ago. She hopes her work inspires the younger generation to learn more about their culture.

"I want to give that back to a lot of the youth who don't really know much of that," she said.

"I think by constantly recreating and remakingnew things with these traditional materials, [that] will inspire a lot of our youth to jump in and try to learn more about their culture."

Along with youth, Wecenisqon said she hopes her designswill also inspirenon-Indigenous people to learn about her culture.

She herself learned from other creators while making the dress.

"I had no experience working with birchbark," she said.

"Never did the quill work. I was always so amazed by it."

In total, it took her about three weeks to create the bodice, plus more time for the rest of the dress.

"I was so happy that people love it just as much as I did creating it," she said.

Comfortable and lightweight

Ashley Sanipass from Indian Island, N.B., gaveWecenisqon a roll of birchbark and said she plans on showing her how to gather it as well.

She said the dress issomething she has not seen before.

"Sgoagani has such a talent for art and what she sees," Sanipass said.

"When you're working with natural material like that, and to include it into fashion, Ithink that right thereis Indigenous fashion. She's literally using something from the land and creating a dress out of it."

First-time model Rosalie Labilloisfrom Eel River Bar First Nationwore the dress on the runwayat the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton.

Labilloissaid it wascomfortable and lightweight, and not too stiff.

"I really just thought about how we're challenging these colonized, or European views of fashion and standards of beauty, and really redefining our own," she said.

Most of all though, she said she felt empowered wearing it.

"I am an Indigenous woman, and this is how I'm built," she said.

"I may not see a lot of people who look like me on the runway, but I could definitely be that person to show somebody else and be that representation.Ifeel like that really helped boost my confidence."

Wecenisqonhas other items in the works, and plans on continuing to usetraditional materials.