About the Film
In this groundbreaking documentary, RIBBON SKIRT WARRIORS follows the remarkable stories of Indigenous women who lead the charge along the 330-mile pipeline route, defying expectations in both ordinary and extraordinary ways. Through their tireless efforts, they confront issues of civil rights, treaty rights, and the vital need for clean water, all while challenging the forces of Big Oil and government agencies complicit in environmental degradation.
Along with cultural and spiritual advisor Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons, these women embody the essence of the water protector movement, blending direct nonviolent action with traditional practices such as maple syrup tapping and wild rice harvesting.
Amplifying the voices of those at the forefront of environmental justice, RIBBON SKIRT WARRIORS showcases the unwavering resolve of a few individuals driven by a profound commitment to cultural preservation and sovereignty. Through their collective efforts, we witness not only the genesis of a movement that defies the odds but also the transformative power of Indigenous women leading the charge as water protectors and land defenders.
Executive Producers
- Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons
- Jane Fonda
Director, DP, Producer & Editor
- Keri Pickett
Co-Producer & Editor
- Dawn Mikkelson
Contributing Producer
- V (formerly Eve Ensler)
Cinematographers
- River Akemann
- Fabian Lossa
- Johnny Barber
Photos
Meet the Filmmakers
Keri Pickett
Producer/Director/Directory of Photography/Editor
Keri Pickett is an award-winning artist, producer, director, cinematographer. Pickett’s documentary films FINDING HER BEAT (2022), FIRST DAUGHTER AND THE BLACK SNAKE (2017) and THE FABULOUS ICE AGE (2013) have won multiple awards and screened at festivals around the world, breaking records in attendance, and streamed on Netflix. A well known photographer, Pickett has published multiple photography books, with photographs displayed in international and national museums and have appeared in Life, Time, People, Stern, and Geo magazines, and she has been awarded fellowships from the Bush Foundation, McKnight, Jerome, and Target Foundations, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Pickett was awarded the 2018 McKnight Filmmaking Fellowship.
Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons
Executive Producer
Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons is a Minnesota Ojibwe Elder, non-violent direct action activist, Knowledge Holder UN Observer, and author who has published books about spirituality, self-examination, and cross-cultural understanding. She is also a community organizer, world traveler and has often appeared in the media as an activist for climate justice and social justice issues. She believes we can change the world for the better again, if we come together as a community.
Jane Fonda
Executive Producer
As an actor, Jane Fonda has earned numerous nominations and awards, including Oscars (Best Actress in 1971 for “Klute” and in 1978 for “Coming Home”) and an Emmy for her performance in The Dollmaker. Along with starring roles in dozens of highly acclaimed productions, Fonda is also a film and television producer. Famously dedicated her life to activism, she has most recently mobilizing thousands of people to take action on climate through her Fire Drill Fridays, a set of weekly climate demonstrations on Capitol Hill. Her book, “What Can I Do? My Path from Climate Despair to Action”, equips activists with the tools needed to engage and take action on climate change. Fonda has been an opponent of oil developments and their adverse effects on the environment.
Dawn Mikkelson
Co-Producer/Editor
Dawn Mikkelson is an Emmy Award winning producer and McKnight Filmmaking Fellow, whose work has broadcast, streamed and screened internationally. Festival screenings of her feature documentaries include: the Galway Film Fleadh, Cinequest, Mill Valley Film Festival, Heartland Film Festival, DOC NYC, Frameline Film Festival, and American Indian Film Festival. Broadcast and streaming include: APT (American Public Television), PBS, CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation), Yes-Docu (Israel), Duetsche Welle (Germany), iTunes, and Amazon Prime. Mikkelson has completed seven award-winning independent feature documentaries, MINNESOTA MEAN (2023), FINDING HER BEAT (2022), RISKING LIGHT (2018), THE RED TAIL (2009), GREEN GREEN WATER (2007), THIS OBEDIENCE (2003), and TREADING WATER: A DOCUMENTARY (1999), character-driven films highlighting power and joy in the margins.
Pura Fé
Music
Pura Fé is an Indigenous activist, singer-songwriter, and storyteller known for her distinct, soulful vocals and for breathing life into several musical genres. As the founding member of the internationally renowned Native Women’s a cappella trio Ulali, Pura Fé helped to create a movement throughout Indian Country, which not only empowered Native Women’s hand drum and harmony, but also built a bridge for Native music into the mainstream music scene. Pura Fé’s solo career has produced six studio albums with her Native Blues and lap-steel slide guitar work. She won Grand Prix du Disque from L’Académie Charls Cros (French Grammy) for Best World Album in 2006. Tuscarora Nation Blues, and a Native American Music Award (NAMMY) for Best Female Artist for Follow Your Heart’s Desire in the same year. Climate PAC, a political action committee with the purpose of ousting politicians supporting the fossil fuel industry.
Credits
Executive Producers
- Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons & Jane Fonda
Director/DP/Producer/Editor
- Keri Pickett
Co-Producer/Editor
- Dawn Mikkelson
Contributing Producer
- V (formerly Eve Ensler)
Cinematographers
- River Akemann, Fabian Lossa, Johnny Barber
Additional Cinematographers
- Sarah LittleRedfeather, Vaughn Potter
Drone Cinematography
- River Akemann
Additional Drone
- Alexander Ahmann, Myron Dewey
Additional Editors
- Fabian Lossa, Daniel Geiger
Composer
- Pura Fé
Additional Music
- Shawn Trottier
Color Grading
- Oscar Oboza at Nice Shoes
Re-recording Mix
- Carly Zuckweiler
About the Ribbon Skirt
“For Indigenous peoples, the Ribbon Skirt represents our own personal reclamation. It represents reclaiming identity, and wearing that identity proudly. It has become armour. It is a cultural protection against assimilation and degradation. It is a reminder of our roles in our community as women and as members. It reminds us of our sacredness as women and the power in that. It tells our story of adaptation and survival.
“When we wear our ribbon skirts, we are reaffirming what we know ourselves to be. This is my strength, and the strength of the community that claims me. It is part of our heritage, a collective heritage and although we all have different traditions and Sacred protocol surrounding the Ribbon Skirt, they do not belong specifically to any one group. We share the history and tradition.”