The importance of the winter solstice predates Christianity, and it was celebrated around the world.
In pre-Columbian times the tradition at this time of year was the celebration of the winter solstice and the return of the sun. Our people followed the cycles of the sun, and both the winter and summer solstice were a cause for ceremony and celebration.
I have been to a medicine wheel in the southern part of the province. The people jealously guard the preservation of it, so I can’t divulge the location. However, to the west of the centre are two piles of stones.
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During the summer solstice the sun rises, it crosses the centre and shines on the southern pile; in the winter solstice, the sunlight falls on the northern pile. In this manner, the ancients were able to determine the time of these important events.
The importance of the winter solstice predates Christianity, and it was celebrated around the world. The Romans celebrated the feast of Saturn at this time.
With the date of Christ’s birthday unknown, some scholars feel that it occurred in the spring. The early Christian church piggybacked on Roman religious holidays and the feast of Saturn was adopted as the birth of Christ.
Saturn was the Roman god of agriculture and the return of the light following the winter solstice was a cause for celebration. When the Romans conquered other tribes, they replaced their pagan festivals of the solstice with the feast of Saturn, which was in return replaced by the early Christian church.
Our solstice celebrations suffered the same fate, but now they are coming back.
Saskatchewan is really two separate provinces. The north is home to the Dene and Woodland Cree and the Plains Cree, Saulteaux, Nakota and Dakota are at home in the south. The two groups have cultures that relate to their separate histories and geography.
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In the north, the trappers would go out on the land at freeze-up and return to the community before Christmas. The furs would be sold, and they would visit and celebrate with family and friends.
Christianity was spread by the fur trade and the people in the north have a longer experience with Christianity, so religion plays an important part in their Christmas celebrations.
In the south, many of the traditional ceremonies live on. Christmas is the time for winter powwows and community round dances. The people get together and celebrate the returning of the light as people in the Northern Hemisphere have done for centuries.
Christmas is also a time for sharing. In the old days, our people would go house to house by a horse-drawn sleigh. If it was cold, they used a covered sleigh called a caboose.
At each home, they would visit and be offered some food, either a bowl of stew or soup accompanied with some moose milk, a Cree term for home brew.
My wife is Mohawk and her mother used to make a large pot of traditional corn soup before Christmas and all visitors would receive a bowl of her delicious fare. Corn soup is a Mohawk holiday tradition, and each cook has a favourite recipe handed down through the generations.
The traditions of the Christmas season are a mishmash of different cultures and traditions, mainly from Europe. But did you know the poinsettia has its roots (no pun intended) in the Indigenous culture of North America?
Poinsettias were cultivated by the Indigenous people of southwest Mexico and parts of Guatemala. They were used as a dye for fabric and the white milky sap was used to treat pain. The Aztecs cultivated poinsettias as a decorative plant.
Later, the plant would become a symbol of Christmas because of its red and green colour.
In fact, there are more hidden traditions that come from the Indigenous people of North America. The turkey on your Christmas feast was introduced to the early settlers by the Indigenous people of eastern North America.
The potatoes, both regular and sweet were cultivated by the Indigenous people of Peru. Squash, corn, beans, tomatoes and peppers all came from the Americas and were developed and cultivated by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Christmas has evolved and grown over the years, embracing a wide variety of cultures and traditions. So, whatever your preference, have a happy and safe holiday this year.
Doug Cuthand is the Indigenous affairs columnist for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and the Regina Leader-Post. He is a member of the Little Pine First Nation.
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