05/22/2026
A Saskatchewan mother’s Facebook post is resonating across Turtle Island after she shared photos of her son Ryland building his own grass dance regalia out of cardboard because he wanted to dance.
“My son really wants an outfit. He wants one so bad he started making his own out of cardboard,” Darcellyn Sapp-Baptiste shared.
Community response quickly followed.
Powwow dancers, artists, families, and community members began offering bells, moccasins, beadwork supplies, mentorship — and even full outfits — to help Ryland step into the circle.
Others also honored the cardboard regalia itself, with one commenter calling it “the kind of ingenuity our ancestors would have praised.”
Days later, Darcellyn shared that enough support had come in to help outfit Ryland, including a synthetic roach, aprons, beadwork supplies, a concho belt, and a donated grass dance outfit.
As for the cardboard regalia — Ryland says he’s keeping it.
“He said, ‘I’m gonna show my future kids my masterpiece,’” Darcellyn wrote.
