A world in a wardrobe: How VIDEA’s Two-spirit regalia library reclaims identities

This unique clothing library in Fernwood helps diverse Indigenous peoples feel seen and respected

Up a long ramp and down a narrow hallway at 1923 Fernwood Road sits a modest room bursting with pride on every table and rack. Tucked away like a secret, this extraordinary space is anything but.

On the hangers are vibrant ribbon skirts, floral cloaks, and beaded vests. There are feathered headdresses and wolf fur garments. Caribou antlers and devil’s club jewellery.

The unique and fully accessible regalia library, titled “Kinship of the Travelling Ribbon Skirt,” sits at the home of the non-profit VIDEA. It’s chock-full of clothing to fit a great many Indigenous identities.

“There are no gender norms here,” says VIDEA’s Kassidy George, of the T’Souke Nation. She holds up a black vest sewn with long, rainbow-hued ribbons down its back – one of many Two-spirited variations on traditional garments.

“These clothes are simply meant to fit who you are, what your energy gives off,” she says. Beside her hang intricate Métis sashes and Inuk seal skin robes, some with colourful dashes of queer flare.

This rare, grassroots collection sits free and open for anyone Indigenous to borrow from, especially the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. It plenishes a major gap in identity-specific regalia to be worn for ceremonies and celebrations, like graduations and conferences, along with everyday wear.

It’s a place to discover oneself, to be respected, and to simply belong.

Supporting identities and artists

Such belonging is VIDEA’s loud-and-proud mandate. For over four decades, the non-profit which staffs around 70 people (50 of them Indigenous) has created gathering spaces in multiple countries for diverse people, especially youth, to tackle poverty and climate change. It fosters feminist leaders through creative projects that promote equity, the environment, and human rights.

“We want folks who’ve historically had their voices silenced to be put into leadership positions, and to represent their peoples,” said Rachel Barr, Head of Youth Opportunities. She stands in the regalia library, surrounded by a dozen keen-eyed Indigenous youth who are involved.

Barr says the library was the brainchild of a Two-spirited VIDEA leader who knew personally how much this project would connect and celebrate the community. Within a year it took off, with support from the Fund for Gender Equality – a collaboration between Community Foundations of Canada and the Equality Fund.

Today, while Two-spirit clothing is a core feature, many other identities are also served. There are items for the local Songhees, Esquimalt, and WSÁNEC communities, but also for Métis, Inuit, and First Nations from up-island, the BC mainland, and the rest of Turtle Island (North America).

“There are people from all over who live in Greater Victoria. They deserve to be represented as well,” said Barr, adding that VIDEA proudly commissions Indigenous artists from across the continent to create pieces for the library.

“They’re hustling,” said Barr. “They’re incredible businesses people.”

A debut to remember

Taleetha Tait, who is Wet’suwet’en Gitxsan and Manager of Wellness Programs, recalls the library’s emotional debut in June 2023, at a Two-spirit poetry reading night in Fernwood.

She says the colourful clothing went on display for attendees to take pictures and start borrowing. It was the first time many Two-spirit members could try on regalia that perfectly matched their identity.

“A lot of people came into the space thinking ‘Is this too good to be true?’ ‘Is today even real?’ […] It was so beautiful,’” she said. “I felt energized, and I craved more of it.”

The library also took a trip last Fall to the Healing our Spirit Worldwide conference in Vancouver – a global gathering of Indigenous peoples. There, it was set up in a hotel room for attendees to peruse and borrow for the event. Barr says the honour system has so far been a tremendous success.

Reclaiming professionalism

The library’s core mission is to help diverse wearers feel recognized and respected. Santana Dreaver, Saulteaux and Plains Cree from Kinistin, Saskatchewan, says that when someone wears their regalia, they feel protected and safe.

Dreaver, who sits on the Prime Minister’s Youth Council, says there’s often pressure to wear your best clothes at formal events, and the vibrant regalia library “challenges colonialism and what’s considered professional.”

“We’re reclaiming our identity [by] showing up in our colours in these neutral spaces. Indigenous people have our own professional wear,” said Dreaver, adding that the library is a true rarity in Canada.

Barr says she’s scoured the Internet for a similar project and hasn’t found one of this caliber and diversity. “We don’t want to hog this idea,” she said. “If there’s another library out there, or if anyone wants to create one, we’d love to connect.”

For Taleetha Tait, the importance of making regalia accessible in communities far and wide cannot be overstated. She says the library gives diverse people a sense of possibility they didn’t know existed.

“To see relatives that have been silenced for so long, to see their magic. To see them being celebrated and seen. It’s beautiful to be part of that.”

To learn more about VIDEA and its projects, visit VIDEA.ca.