Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
New Brunswick·Ann's Eye

Indigenous people come from across New Brunswick for mid-winter celebration

Unlike a powwow, the mid-winter celebration is a more subdued event, creating a feeling of peace. It's a time of year when Mother Earth is sleeping and people are in a "slow mode," and since people from the community aren't outside as much, it's a good opportunity to sit together inside and talk about the future.

When Mother Earth sleeps, it's time to gather and plan for the next seven generations

Ann Paul · CBC News ·
An Indigenous woman sits in a chair holding a feather.
Roseanne Clark, a Wolastoqey educator, speaks about language at the St. Thomas University mid-winter celebration talking circle. (Ann Paul/CBC)

During a recent talking circle among Indigenous people at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, a feeling of calm came over the room.

It was the mid-winter celebration, a time to gather and plan for the next seven generations. Ann Paul, who covered the event for CBC News, said people always leave feeling hopeful.

Unlike a powwow, the mid-winter celebration is a more subdued event, Paul said, creating a feeling of peace. It's a time of year when Mother Earth is sleeping and people are in a "slow mode," and since people from the community aren't outside as much, it's a good opportunity to sit together inside and talk about the future.

WATCH |  What do you call the wind rushing through the window? See a teaching moment captured on camera 

Indigenous people come from as far as Maine for a mid-winter celebration at St. Thomas University

2 years ago
Duration 3:33
The mid-winter celebration is a time to plan ahead for the next seven generations

The weekend-long event was for Indigenous people from all over New Brunswick, but Paul said there were visitors from Nova Scotia and Maine. The days started with pipe ceremonies to set good intentions, and different talking circles were held on different issues.

People could go to the talking circle that interested them, Paul said. She herself attended the talking circle about saving the language, where different members of the community had the chance to hold a feather and speak.

Paul said it's good for different people to focus on different issues — that way everything can be carried forward for future generations.

Ann's Eye

Photographer Ann Paul brings an Indigenous lens to stories from First Nations communities across New Brunswick. Click here or on the image below to see more of her work. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ann Paul

Freelance contributor

Ann Paul is a Wolastoqey woman. Her name is Monoqan, meaning rainbow. She is a grandmother, a mother, a daughter, an auntie, a dancer, a singer and a teacher. Using her camera, she brings an Indigenous lens to stories from First Nations communities across New Brunswick.

    CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
    Corrections and clarifications|Submit a news tip|