A dozen Barbie dolls accessorized with ribbon skirts were gifted to the North Central Family Centre just in time for the holiday season.

The centre has gifted the handmade items to the children they work with throughout the year.

Carla LaFontaine is the housing strategy coordinator for the North Central Family Centre. She said the dolls are in high demand.

“It’s something that you don’t normally see, to have a little something that you can as well look like in a ribbon dress,” she said.

The people who created the skirts prefer to remain anonymous, but one person did share that the dolls were created in memory of a niece who died at the age of five years old.

The maker also shared that another reason for the dolls was for Isabella Kulak, who was shamed for wearing a ribbon skirt at school in 2020.

Crystal Pelletier’s daughter was able to receive one of the Barbies. She recalls the lack of Indigenous representation when she was a child playing with Barbies.

“It’s nice. I wish it was done a long time ago. It’s nice they can see this stuff, learn this stuff, know this stuff, be able to wear the items to school, daycare, wherever,” she said.

The Barbie accessories cannot be found in stores as they are an unofficial product from outside the brand.

Pelletier hopes these types of toys make their way into the mainstream.

“More of this stuff for Barbie dolls. I think it’s important,” she said. “It would be nice for more of that kind of stuff for the dolls.”

The North Central Family Centre relies heavily on donations. They announced on their social medias they are no longer accepting donations until Jan. 5.