08/16/2026
There’s a difference between wearing culture without permission… and wearing culture with respect, relationship, and purpose.
At Miss Universe Canada this year, the pageant paused mid‑show to address something important: two contestants wore Indigenous‑inspired “costumes” that included sacred cultural elements — a feathered headdress, mukluks, braids, and even the red handprint symbol connected to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
These items aren’t fashion. They’re not props. They’re not costumes.
They’re regalia — expressions of identity, lineage, sovereignty, and ceremony.
Wearing regalia without belonging to the culture is cultural appropriation, and Miss Universe Canada issued a public apology acknowledging the harm.
This moment matters, because it highlights a crucial distinction:
There’s a difference between wearing culture without permission… and wearing culture with respect, relationship, and purpose.
That’s why Every Child Matters shirts are different.
Every Child Matters tees are meant to be worn by everyone — Indigenous and non‑Indigenous — as an act of remembrance, education, and solidarity. They were created for public participation, not performance.
Our Easy Peasy Tees ECM shirt was:
• Designed by Meradith Moses Jackson, a Gitxsan artist whose work is rooted in story, identity, and lived experience
• Created in partnership with the Orange Shirt Society, honouring Phyllis Webstad’s story
• Fully licensed, ensuring the artwork is used ethically and respectfully
• Structured so a portion of proceeds goes directly back to support the Orange Shirt Society’s work
Wearing an ECM tee is not cultural appropriation — it’s invited solidarity.
It’s a way to honour Survivors, remember those who never returned home, and commit to ongoing truth and reconciliation.
The pageant incident reminds us why this distinction matters.
Visibility without permission causes harm.
Visibility with relationship creates change.