Winter Wisdom From Indigenous Educators to Carry You Through the Season

Dropping temperatures and shorter days can prompt many of us to turn inward and reflect on how to take better care of ourselves and one another. For those who experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, reduced exposure to sunlight can lead to low energy and mood. Fortunately, Indigenous knowledge systems have long offered tools for grounding and resilience during the fall and winter seasons.

There is a vast kaleidoscope of seasonal practices across Canada, shaped by more than 630 First Nations groups, Inuit and Métis peoples. The variety of cultures and communities may employ different methods for the seasonal shift, but the goal remains the same: preparation for the end of a cycle and maintaining our well-being as we wait for the next one to unfold. Here’s how Indigenous communities care for mind, body and spirit during this period of transition.

For Anishinaabe people, the moon is a guide through Earth’s cycles. “We follow the moon’s calendar,” says Zhaawnong Webb, an educational content creator and master’s student at the Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies at Trent University. “Within each moon comes different teachings and ways we’re supposed to live during that time.”