Earlier this week, Miss Una Swan held a small pipe ceremony (watch her message) with students to honour and welcome in the Spring Equinox, a day where day and night are equal. Not only is the Spring Equinox recognized by many Indigenous cultures ceremoniously as new beginnings and rebirth, but there are many teachings and stories about Spring.

We’ve pulled together a few tales and teachings on the blog. (Click on the title to watch.)

Sisikwun: The Rattle by Wilfred Buck

Wilfred Buck is a local Elder who shares many teachings, including star teachings. Here he shares a teaching about Spring constellations and the rattle.

K’i Tah Amongst the Birch (National Film Board of Canada)

Filmmaker/activist Melaw Nakehk’o has spent the pandemic with her family at a remote land camp in the Northwest Territories, “getting wood, listening to the wind, staying warm and dry, and watching the sun move across the sky.” In documenting camp life—activities like making fish leather and scraping moose hide—she anchors the COVID experience in a specific time and place.

The Lake Winnipeg Project (National Film Board of Canada)

As our lakes and rivers begin to thaw and we all start to take advantage of these gifts, it’s important to know the context and history of our lakes and Indigenous communities. We also recommend viewing this series.

The Lake Winnipeg Project is a four-part documentary series that calls attention to stories of ingenuity and resilience in four diverse communities surrounding Lake Winnipeg, at a time when many external forces are imposing change.