Ribbon Skirt

To be Anishinaabe is to move through the world in respect and reciprocity, taking what you need and giving back whenever you can, while always acknowledging the gift that is the journey itself. It’s a way of life that was interrupted and severely damaged by the ravages of settler colonialism. But in our ongoing recovery from those harms, we as a people have found beautiful ways to restore those gifts, and create something regenerative and enriching for future generations.

Bite Down is one of those gifts. It’s a vibrant tapestry of sound and emotion that touches the heart and lifts the spirit of the Anishinaabe experience. With this outstanding collection of songs, Ribbon Skirt, led by Tashiina Buswa, profoundly conveys the essence of putting life and identity back together. To be Anishinaabe in a contemporary settler state also means, tragically, to overcome trauma and live with grief. But through healing and art - especially music like this - we can redefine who we are and finally control the story about us.

- Waub Rice

Ribbon Skirt are a band from Montreal, formerly known as Love Language. They have played festivals across North Amercia including SXSW, New Colossus, Sled Island, and Pop Montreal, sharing stages with Dehd, Ombiigizi, Packs, Wombo and many more. Their debut album produced by Produced by Scott ‘Monty’ Munro (Preoccupations) and Marlaena Moore deals with themes of memory, grief and Buswa’s connection to her Indigenous identity and cultural practices.