Stitching tradition: Yukon teen honours her Kaska Dena culture with traditional clothing designs

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From ribbon skirts to beaded vests, 13-year-old Jael Johnnie of Ross River, Yukon, has created dozens of pieces — bringing joy, pridefulness and inspiration to her Yukon community.

Jael Johnnie, 13, of Ross River, Yukon, has created dozens of skirts, vests, parkas and more

Cali McTavish · CBC News

· Posted: May 10, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

A young pistillate works astatine a sewing instrumentality with colourful fabric.

At her schoolhouse successful Ross River, Yukon, 13-year-old Jael Johnnie sat quietly astatine her Singer sewing machine, hemming the borderline of a agleam purple cloth arsenic the instrumentality hums rhythmically.

She was making a ribbon skirt, one of dozens of handmade items she's created successful her location economics class.

The teen has recovered inspiration successful accepted Kaska Dena covering and designs, and she's successful crook inspiring others successful her assemblage with her creations.

This summer, Johnnie will big 2 manner shows: one astatine the extremity of the schoolhouse year, and different successful Carcross in July. She's already custom-made pieces for household and friends, including a tiny embroidered vest for her younger brother.

Though shy, Johnnie lights up erstwhile describing her favourite instauration truthful far: a achromatic and purple parka, trimmed with a fox fur collar.

A young pistillate successful a colourful parka.

"It makes maine consciousness calm," Johnnie said, describing the process of bringing each portion to life. "And happy," she added.

She says her manner travel began by watching her older sisters make pieces for their graduation. Every June, Indigenous students from crossed the Yukon stitchery astatine the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre successful Whitehorse to observe graduation together, proudly dressed successful accepted regalia.

Inspired by her sisters Dawn and Tracy, Jael began beading and sewing — over clip crafting much and much intricate pieces. Now she's created dozens of vests, backpacks, earrings and slippers.

Dawn beams with pridefulness portion describing her small sister.

"I deliberation it's precise inspiring. She works each day, 7 days a week," Dawn said.

Jael credits galore assemblage members with helping her on the way, including elder Florence Etzel who sees Johnnie's enactment arsenic some beauteous and profoundly meaningful.

"It's a privilege to enactment with this young person," says Etzel. "I consciousness rather blessed and arrogant of her."

An older pistillate and a young pistillate beryllium unneurotic connected a sofa looking done a binder.

Etzel, who learned to marque covering for herself and her household erstwhile she was young, believes making accepted covering is vital.

"I'd similar to promote different young women to larn to sew, due to the fact that it's an important portion of preserving our [Kaska Dena] culture."

In a assemblage hard-hit by the toxic cause crisis, Etzel says Jael's dedication offers a glimmer of hope.

"We've mislaid a batch of our young people," Etzel says, "but by doing this, it mightiness marque things better. I cognize it volition marque things better."

Beaded moosehide slippers displayed successful a circle.

For Jael, the enactment has brought some pridefulness and purpose.

Along with the upcoming manner shows, 1 of Jael's designs volition besides beryllium connected show connected 1 of this year's Truth and Reconciliation t-shirts. The shirts are sold successful September successful Whitehorse to people Orange Shirt Day and honour the way toward reconciliation.

Jael besides hopes 1 time to beryllium portion of Vancouver's Indigenous Fashion Week.