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The Red Dress
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My name is Shirley Steenberg, I’m originally from a small town called Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada. I’m an Inuvialuk, (also known as an Inuk) from an Indigenous group of people that live along the coast of the Beaufort Sea. I was invited to participate in a 10-year art project created by Kirstie Macleod of the UK. My good friend Shelley Tulloch from Ontario connected me with Kirstie. Ms. Macleod created an embroidery of a Red Dress which includes over 130 embroiderers. Each sewed a panel from 27 different countries around the world, and all panels were sewn together to create a magnificent, brilliant Red Dress. For my panel, I chose the maple leaf, Indigenous medicine wheel, polar bear, inukshuk, and “Strong and Free” from our Canadian National anthem.
Dave Watts
I have chosen the Medicine Wheel to be the center of my panel of the Red Dress; this is sometimes known as the Sacred Hoop. It has been used by generations of various Native American groups for health and healing. It embodies the Four Directions (north, south, east and west), as well as Father Sky, Mother Earth, and Spirit Tree—all of which symbolize dimensions of health and the cycles of life.
The stitching in the wheel symbolizes the sun and sunflower in yellow, one of my favorite flowers. The three feathers represent my 3 daughters Crystal, Amber, and Ruby—also known as my ‘gem girls’. They are my strength, love, and purpose in life.
I have our Canadian maple leaf on the panel, which represents our country of many nationalities. The phrase “Strong and Free” is from our Canadian national anthem.
In the medicine wheel, I have the polar bear, a sacred animal of our North. They are vulnerable because of our melting ice in the sea, and their populations are slowly decreasing. There is a special story about the polar bear spirit. My great-great-grandfather William Mangilaluk, who was the chief and founder of Tuktoyaktuk, believed he had the spirit of the polar bear. After he passed away, his name-sake was passed down to our relatives who choose to name their son after Mangilaluk, as we believe in carrying on their spirit names from generation to generation. This is also represented in the logo I created for my school in Tuktoyaktuk (pictured to the right).
At the very bottom of the panel I have the Inukshuk. They were used by us Inuvialuit as directional markers on the land to tell others traveling that we had been there. It is made of tundra rocks in the shape of a person, and it signifies safety, direction of our next journey, hope, and friendship. Inuksuit (plural) have been transformed into a symbol of hope and friendship that transcends borders to reach people all over the world.
I’m one of many nationalities and cultures of the world. Through one Red Dress, we come together to share cherished beliefs and cultures and tell our stories. We come in unity, love, peace, respect, expression, healing, and empowerment. I am an Inuvialuk, strong and resilient.
Dave Watts
