The Ribbon Skirt

About this book

American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book A joyful coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel by debut Indigenous creator Cameron Mukwa about the journey of a two-spirit kid who wants to create a ribbon skirt for the upcoming powwow. Ten-year-old Anang wants to make a ribbon skirt, a piece of clothing typically worn by girls in the Anishinaabe tradition, for an upcoming powwow. Anang is two-spirit and nonbinary and doesn't know what others will think of them wearing a ribbon skirt, but they're determined to follow their heart's desire. Anang sets off to gather the materials needed to make the skirt and turns to those around them -- their family, their human and turtle friends, the crows, and even the lake itself -- for help. And maybe they'll even find a new confidence within themself along the way.

Censorship history

The Ribbon Skirt was banned or restricted in United States in 2025 for its treatment of race and racial language. This case illustrates the paradox of censoring literature that critiques racism for the very language it uses to document it.

Bans

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