The ceremony includes singing, drumming and smudging.
Elders receive traditional names from the ancestors
CBC News ·
Wolastoqey Grand Chief Ron Tremblay performed a name-giving ceremony for Cyril Francis, a Peskotomuhkati woman from Sipayik (Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation) in Maine. Her name is Yalahseniket, meaning one who brings the light. (Ann Paul/CBC)
On a sunny day in Sipayik (Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation) in Maine, family and friends embraced Cyril Francis, saying her name three times.
The ritual is part of the name-giving ceremony, during which an elder reveals the name for someone provided by the ancestors. Wolastoqey Grand Chief Ron Tremblay performed the ceremony for Francis, revealing her name to be Yalahseniket, meaning one who brings the light.
Wolastoqey photographer Ann Paul covered the ceremony, which included drumming, singing, smudging and a pipe ceremony, for CBC New Brunswick. Scroll through the photos and watch the video to see what she saw.
WATCH | Meet Yalahseniket: One who brings the light:
Ann’s Eye: See a naming ceremony in Sipayik
7 months ago
Duration 2:26
The ceremony reveals a name that has been provided by the ancestors. Wolastoqey Grand Chief Ron Tremblay performs the service for Cyril Francis in Maine.
Wolastoqey Grand Chief Ron Tremblay performed the name-giving ceremony for Cyril Francis. The name doesn't come out of thin air, Ann Paul said. The elder has to know the person and what they bring to the community. The name could come to the elder in a dream or as a spiritual epiphany. (Ann Paul/CBC)
Ann Paul said Cyril Francis had a sense of peace about her after she received her name. 'She seemed so happy, she was glowing. She had all her loved ones there that she invited,' Ann said. (Ann Paul/CBC)
During the pipe ceremony, Ann Paul said she took her drum down to the water and dipped it into the saltwater to loosen it. 'My drum was calling out for the water,' she said. Of course, she had to chase after her mother Elder Maggie Paul, who decided to do the same thing and took off for the water. (Ann Paul/CBC)
The name-giving ceremony was held at Split Rock, a ceremonial place in Sipayik. The reservation is Wabanaki territory, Ann Paul said, because Indigenous groups have lived in the area for centuries, well before colonizers arrived and created borders. (Ann Paul/CBC)
The name-giving ceremony included smudging. (Ann Paul/CBC)
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.
