Kalle Benallie
ICT
“The Ribbon Skirt” by Cameron Mukwa is a story he was always looking for while growing up.
Mukwa is Anishinaabe and transgender. He writes for a middle-grade audience because of the potential impact it could make. While creating the story he was able to bring up his own experiences of being Two-Spirit and transgender and how those feelings are the most prominent in your younger years.
“It was so overwhelming and I didn’t really know how to process some of those emotions. I was just thinking as I was writing that if this was a book that I had gotten to come across in middle school that it would completely change who I thought of myself at that age,” he said.
“The Ribbon Skirt” is a coming-of-age story about Anang, a Two-Spirited nonbinary Anishinaabe person, who wants to create a ribbon skirt for the upcoming powwow. Anang, the Anishinaabe word for star, faces the feelings of uncertainty about what others in their community will think after experiencing transphobia from someone they had trusted.
It is Mukwa’s debut graphic novel and has been two years in the making. It will be released on Nov. 12 and is available for preorder.
Mukwa grew up reading comics all throughout his childhood. He really loved to draw and went on to go to art school. He said he dabbled in other art forms for a few years before finally realizing how much he enjoyed comics.
“It took awhile but I did eventually come back to it and I’m really glad because I feel better about what I’ve been doing the last couple years than I’ve ever have,” he said.
Mukwa integrated some of his Anishinaabe roots into the graphic novel, too. In the scenes of Anang with their grandparents, Anishinaabe traditional foods are present and other aspects are featured.
“Hopefully, kids see themselves in that and maybe some other kids who aren’t Indigenous go ‘oh okay, this is what maybe an Indigenous person’s house looks like’ and ask some questions and do some of their own research,” he said.
Mukwa was inspired to write about ribbon skirts from his involvement in Two-Spirit groups in his community. He noticed how a lot of the younger generations would ask if they were allowed to participate in ceremony and if they’re even allowed to wear ribbon skirts.
“I wanted to represent some of the kids I was seeing in my day to day life as well as what I heard from other friends, who are also Two-Spirit, said about everything their younger cousins are going through where you’re trying to figure out your gender, on top of that there’s these heavier expectations of if you’re doing this you have to do that,” he said.
Mukwa’s major theme in the graphic novel is the character Anang should be able to choose for themselves.
Mukwa’s advice for young Indigenous authors who aspire to illustrate or write is to find an agent and pitch their stories and ideas to publishers because there is a big hunger for them right now.
“It’s something you definitely can do and don’t convince yourself ‘oh, maybe what I do isn’t going to be good enough’ because I promise you there are people that draw worse and are getting books. I have seen them,” he said.
His biggest advice is to also not take your first offer.
Mukwa ultimately hopes readers and transgender kids — especially Indigenous, trans and Two-Spirit kids — feel seen.
Mukwa touches on topics like bathroom bans and how it can affect someone’s day to day life.
“I hope that whether you’re someone who has been supportive of trans people in the past, are trans, or someone who’s ‘I don’t really get it’, that maybe this opens the door to have conversations about that,” he said
He adds that he hopes Indigenous children will feel “wanted in their communities as their full selves.”
Like this story? Support our work with a $5 or $10 contribution today. Contribute to the nonprofit ICT. Sign up for ICT’s free newsletter.