The Story of the Every Red River Métis Child Matters Sash

The Every Red River Métis Child Matters Sash was designed and created as a symbol representing the loss and survival of our most innocent citizens' experiences of residential and day schools, of the sixties scoop and of other systems that have attacked our culture, our language, and our existence. Many citizens survived and many were lost to these destructive policies. The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), the national government of the Red River Métis, felt it vital to create a unique symbol that acknowledged the legacy of these systems, including those that were lost. It equally wished to create a Sash that recognized the survival of our Red River Métis children.

The Every Red River Métis Child Matters Sash was designed by Red River Métis Sixties Scoop Survivor, Ms. Malanie Cutler. It is composed of seven uniquely coloured strands, each with its own significance.

• The orange colour acknowledges every Red River Métis child matters.
• The black colour acknowledges the mourning of families and communities in the loss of children.
• The yellow colour symbolizes the rays of the sun that reflect a fresh start we have as the Red River Métis.
• The red colour reminds us of the blood that flows within our veins.
• The purple colour reflects the spiritual healing within our families and our communities.
• The green colour reflects the growth and rebirth of our Nation.
• The blue colour reflects our Nation's future possibilities.

The production of the sash was done through an international nation-to-nation trade partnership created by the MMF with the Kichua Indigenous Community living in Sesquilé, Colombia. Each handwoven sash is made by Kichua community members who, along with their families, are working to preserve their ances- tral weaving knowledge. Since 2018, more than 15,000 Métis Sashes have been made and exported through Ancestry and Development, the organization built on a desire to preserve their Indigenous culture forever.

In recognition of the experiences of Red River Métis survivors and families of lost children, every sash is individually packaged and gifted in a special ceremony. This occasion gathers survivors and families to mourn loss collectively and to find strength in our own unique individual survival, our families' survival, our communities, and our Nation.

The Manitoba Métis Federation