Representing Our Spirit. How making Ribbon pants as a Two-Spirit Educator led to community care.

Written by: Syndel Thomas Kozar Their Collective member and Co-Director of Turtle Island Wellness & Inclusivity Collective.

Photo credit: Syndel Thomas Kozar

 

Sometimes, the most beautiful things grow from small beginnings.

What started as a university school project… and what started as a simple conversations, has turned into somethings much bigger than I ever imagined.

When I first presented my class project on ribbon wear, one of my Two-Spirit peers asked if I planned to sell the ribbon pants. I explained that I don’t sell them because the teachings and designs aren’t mine to sell in that way, they carry their own spirit and story. They encouraged me instead to think about teaching others, to create space for people to learn and connect through the process itself. That encouragement stuck with me, especially already as a community-rooted artist. Around the same time, I was preparing to attend an Oxfam SRHR Youth Summit, where I learned about the StandUp grant opportunity. I decided to take a chance and apply, and that step brought Representing Our Spirit to life.

Tânisi, I’m Syndel Thomas Kozar, a Two-Spirit, neurodivergent nehiyaw (Plains Cree) and white settler artist, advocate, and community educator. I am a band member of One Arrow First Nation with familial ties to the Chakastaypasin Band in James Smith Cree Nation. I was born and raised in Melfort, Saskatchewan, a predominantly white prairie city, by my grandparents, both residential school survivors.

Growing up, I struggled with my identity and sense of belonging, but today, much of my work is about continuing that healing journey and reclaiming what was almost taken from my family. Everything I do is rooted in honouring my grandparents, their teachings, resilience, and the deep care they carried for community.

Through my recent work I’ve been creating spaces that blend art, cultural reclamation, advocacy and wellness education, where Indigenous folks and allies can connect with one another and explore identity through creativity. That work has now cumulated to the Turtle Island Wellness & Inclusivity Network, which I am so excited to share with you all with Their Collective.

One of those spaces I was lucky enough to create was Representing Our Spirit, a project supported by Oxfam Canada and the Government of Canada. Over three workshops in Saskatoon and Prince Albert, we gathered to make ribbon skirts and ribbon pants that reflected our own spirits while learning about the history of ribbon wear, the impacts of colonial gender roles, and body sovereignty, and how they connect to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Photo Credit: Krista Caspick

 

SRHR isn’t only about access to healthcare, it’s also about feeling safe in your body, having autonomy over how you express yourself, and understanding the teachings that connect wellness to identity and consent. In these sessions, we talked about those ideas gently, through story, sewing, and shared experience.

Elders Corinne and Maryann Whitefish in Saskatoon and Shelley Belhumeur in Prince Albert helped hold those conversations in ceremony. They reminded us that creating and being is its own form of ceremony, and that wellness begins with self-acceptance. For many participants, this was their first time being able to connect with a Two-Spirit Elder. One person finished their ribbon skirt and began dancing immediately, glowing with pride. Another returned the even when their piece just to sit in community again. Tears were shed. Hugs had. Everyone felt seen, felt, and cared for.

Photo Credit: Krista Caspick

 

These are the moments that teach me what real SRHR and reconciliation work looks like, it’s creating safe, culturally grounded spaces where Indigenous youth can talk, learn, and heal together.

Working with partners like White Buffalo Youth Lodge, OUTSaskatoon, Studio Q, Community Building Youth Futures Prince Albert and His Bead Store made this project possible, showing how community collaboration can stretch a small budget and deepen the work’s impact. Which makes me especially excited for where this work with Their Collective will go.

Through all of this, I’ve learned that decolonization happens in the everyday, in the laughter around a sewing table, in a shared meal, or in the courage to wear something that truly represents you. These workshops, this opportunity, reminds me that wellness is communal and that empowerment grows through connection.

 

 

I am deeply grateful to Oxfam Canada and the Government of Canada for supporting this work and to every person who showed up with open hearts and hands. This project affirmed everything I believe in, that healing and learning begin in community.

 

That same spirit of conversation and connection is what eventually brought this work to Their Collective. After sharing my story and vision, we realized how aligned our values were, around accessibility, cultural safety, and creative community care. It felt like a natural next step to bring my programs here, where they can continue to grow in relationship with others who hold similar intentions.

This program, and others, will continue through Their Collective, supported by six sewing machines available for community use. This is paid professional work, and pricing reflects the preparation, materials, and care that go into each session. However, in the spirit of accessibility and community care, a sliding scale is available for nonprofits or groups facing financial barriers, following Their Collective’s shared values. If you feel called to bring this kind of work to your community, I’d love to connect and find a way to make it possible.

Ninanâskomân,

Syndel

Turtle Island Wellness Collective x Their Collective