Spirit of the Seasons, part 10: Why We Celebrate the New Year in Winter

zhaawano
Jan 12, 2024
8 min read

Updated: Aug 6

Bibooni-giizis (Winter Moon) / Manidoo-giizisoons (Little Spirit Moon) (January 12, 2024)

Watching the Grandfathers Dance, painting by Zhaawano Giizhik

THE CONCEPT OF GIIWEKIIWIN - RETURNING HOME

Boozhoo!

Every time I tell and share a story, or create a piece of jewelry or a painting, I feel a sense of returning home. By this, I mean that I connect with Anishinaabe inaadiziwin. Anishinaabe inaadiziwin refers to our common shared way of being, which is grounded in our language, our histories, and our ceremonial practices, all rooted in Anishinaabe Aki, the land that the Anishinaabeg peoples have inhabited for many generations.

In doing this, I am constantly aware that Anishinaabemowin, the language, is crucial for reclaiming our land and culture. Or, as we might say today, for "decolonizing" ourselves. Knowing, but more importantly, UNDERSTANDING the language is essential if we want to "biskaabii" — return — or, even better, "giiwekiiwin" — a return to our homeland. This return to our homeland is meant in a metaphorical sense, not necessarily in the literal sense. Many Natives live in urban areas, disconnected from their original family ties, and not everyone has land to return to.

What does the concept of Giiwekiiwin involve?

The concept of Giiwekiiwin, or Giiwekiibiiyaang ("We Return to Our Homeland"), is rooted in the principles of Anishinaabe-inaadiziwin (Anishinaabe way of being). These principles, bestowed upon us by the spirits, have evolved over generations, resulting in a rich collection of dibaajimowinan (true life stories or chronicles based on firsthand experiences); aadizookaanan (sacred stories); Anishinaabemowin (language as a way of life); and anishinaabe-izhitwaawin (our culture, teachings, customs, and history).

What does the term giiwekiiwin literally mean? It is a contraction of the verb "giiwe," meaning "(s)he returns," and "aki," which means "land." The suffix "win" acts as a nominalizer, transforming the verb giiwekii into a noun.

Giiwekiiwin, or Giiwekiibiiyaang, "We Return to Our Homeland," signifies the moment of coming back home after an extended journey. Imagine traveling to Waaban (the east), then to Zhaawan (the south) and Ebangishimog (the west), and finally returning to Giiwedin, the north. Now, let's examine "Giiwedin." Do you see the "giiwe" part? The North is our home! It is a place of wisdom, where we can rest, share stories, and reflect! It's a time to look back and pass on one's life experiences to the younger generations in a meaningful way.

In a metaphorical sense, Giiwekiiwin signifies the idea of cultural revival, opposing colonial domination, and reclaiming Anishinaabe language and culture. Giiwekiiwin (also known as "biskaabiiwin": "A Return to Ourselves") focuses on cultural and economic liberation for Indigenous people, aiming for sovereignty and the right and ability to exercise self-determination. Above all, it emphasizes UNDERSTANDING how our ancestors perceived the world and recognizing that this understanding aids in reclaiming our identity, gaining control over our thoughts and emotions, and, most importantly, attaining the psychological and emotional freedom necessary to achieve mino-bimaadiziwin: Living good, healthy, and upright lives.

In essence, Giiwekiiwin restores our dignity and self-esteem. Equally important, it revives our capacity to wonder.

Our lives are filled with countless things to ponder!

The Ojibwe Grandmother Turtle Lunar Calendar drawn on the Turtle's back shield, painting by Zhaawano Giizhik

For the Anishinaabeg Peoples, the turtle is akin to a grandmother, symbolizing the spirit of the people, the women, and the land. To the Anishinaabeg, the turtle's shell embodies the history, teachings, and origins of the People. The thirteen large segments on the turtle's back signify ashi niswi giizisoog (thirteen moons) in the Earth's journey around the sun. Thirteen also represents the four seasons in the Earth's annual cycle, along with the nine moons required for the development of a human child in the mother's womb. The scutes (scales) surrounding the large segments on the turtle's back denote the number of days in a complete lunar cycle. Click here to read more about this topic.

A few weeks ago, we witnessed the Winter Solstice. This event signifies the transition from the old year to the new one as the earth is cleansed beneath her snow blanket. During this time, I place my asemaa (tobacco) down with awe and gratitude for this yearly renewal. However, is celebrating the new year on New Year's Eve —which, according to the Gregorian Sun calendar, occurs on the last day of December and the first day of January— truly an original Anishinaabe tradition? Or is it our tradition to view the Winter Solstice, which happens a few days earlier, as the beginning of the new year? Did our ancestors, who followed a completely different calendar —the Grandmother Lunar calendar— celebrate the new year in winter, or is this a practice imposed by European colonizers? Isn't it more plausible to think that in earlier times, the new year began in spring, when the lakes and rivers thawed and the flowers and trees began to bloom? After all, isn't it common among the majority of the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island that the New Year is celebrated each year on the new moon of the first lunar month, around the start of spring?

Ambe! Giwe-akiikan, let's return home and find out!

The question we ask ourselves today is: Did the gete-anishinaabeg (ancestors) actually celebrate new years, and if so, when? Not too long ago, a respected gete-ayaa (Elder) shared insights on this topic.

"Yes, they did. They called it ceremony. This is winter ceremony where you got together and you feasted. It’s the beginning. See, Anishinaabe counted years from winter to winter…abi’aboon to abi’aboon. When you talk about last year you talk about nishkwaaj abi’aboon (the one that just came by) and then next would be minaawaa bitiboon for next winter. And this year, the present winter, is abi’aboon. The beginning of winter for us really is—or the New Year—is the full moon after solstice. When the sun starts to come back; the coming back of the sun after it stood still (usually around December). After the sun starts coming back, then we know the next moon is really the New Year because we went by the moons rather than anything else. So the full moon was the New Year; that’s when you held a ceremony, feasted and sang, talked about it, talk about why we’re having it."
—Misi-zaagiing Anishinaabe Gidigaa Migizi, Ginoozhe Doodem, Oshkiigmong (The late Mississauga Elder Doug Williams, Northern Pike Clan of Curve Lake First Nation)*

Although most Indigenous lunar calendars suggest that a month begins with each new moon and the new year commences in spring, according to Anishinaabeg tradition, a month starts with the appearance of a full moon. This is why, in 2024, the Gichimanidoo-giizis (Great Spirit Moon), usually aligning with January in the Gregorian calendar, starts on January 25. Consequently, the new year begins around the winter solstice when the moon is full. However, there are exceptions to this rule. One such exception is a tradition revered by the Anishinaabe Waabanoowiwin Lodge; for them, the Spring Equinox marks the start of the new year, unlike the Midewiwin Lodge, whose new year begins in winter. For the Waabanoo, Minookamin (Late Spring) is a time for celebration, occurring just after the Maple camps. For others, the start of the lunar calendar—and thus the New Year—begins when the full moon rises in February, coinciding with the time bears begin to emerge from their winter dens. In the southeastern part of Anishinaabe Aki, February is known as Makwa-giizis, or Bear Moon; another name for this period is Makoonsag-gaa-nitaawaadi-giizis; Moon when the bear cubs start to be born. Additionally, there are Anishinaabeg who consider the moons during which the sap of the maple trees begins to flow as the start of a new year; this occurs, depending on the region, from mid-March to mid-April.

You might wonder when exactly 2023 transitioned into 2024 according to our lunar calendar. To determine this, we need to identify when the Winter Solstice occurred and when the full moon rose shortly thereafter. These events happened on December 21 and December 26, respectively. Thus, following the Ojibwe Grandmother Lunar calendar, the new year (2024) commenced between December 21 (the solstice) and December 26, 2023 (the full moon). Therefore, one could say that, technically, oshki-bibooni-giizis, the Anishinaabe New Year, began in the last week of December 2023.

Wiindigoo, Creator of the Earth's Poles painting by Zhaawano Giizhik

WHY THE NEW YEAR STARTS IN THE WINTER

Why do most Anishinaabeg celebrate the new year in the winter? There is no straightforward answer to this. Some might say that celebrating New Year on January 1 was imposed on us by the European invaders who introduced the Gregorian solar calendar to Turtle Island. This is indeed true. However, there's more to consider. Although the traditional Anishinaabe New Year rarely falls on January 1, it typically occurs in the week before or after, depending on when the full moon appears right after the Winter Solstice. An ancient teaching, likely originating from pre-contact times, has been handed down by an old warrior society known as the Windigookaan (No-flight Contraries; literally: "Society of the Cannibal Winter Monster"), suggesting that it was the wiindigoog who were responsible for creating biboon (winter). They did this to save the planet; their intervention from the sky formed the polar caps and the seasons, marking the start of the Anishinaabe lunar calendar...

This teaching suggests that everything in the universe is ice until it becomes warm enough to melt on a planet or by a sun/star. This is where the Wiindigoo spirits play a role. Whether they are on Earth or in space, Wiindigoog are drawn to the boundary between ice and water.

It is thought that in ancient times, the wiindigoog were not humans but spirits residing along the banks of the Jiibay-ziibi, the grand River of Souls winding its way through the Galaxy. These ghastly beings resembled enormous, frightening skeletons with bones protruding against their skin, which was the ash-gray hue of death. In this celestial realm, drifting through the sky and enveloped by gas, debris, and massive clouds of water, they would lie in wait to capture and consume those unfortunate deceased humans whose souls were unprepared for their journey home to Waakwi — the Land beyond the stars where their ancestors resided.

However, many lifetimes ago, the earth shifted, causing chaos in the world. It was then that the ishpiming wiindigoo, who resided on the red planet now known as Alpha Orion, stepped forward to restore order. He traveled directly through the void of space from the stars, arriving amid a shower of Orionids, and moved through the earth to stabilize its rotation, keeping the Earth's poles steady. As a result, the wiindigoog were blessed with the gift of ice for maintaining the Earth's actual poles! This event signified the creation of biboon (winter) and the start of the Anishinaabe calendar. From that point on, the cycle of the seasons commenced around the Winter solstice, a few days before the full moon rises when the sucker fish spawn.

From that day forward, "Gaa-biboonikaan" (Bringer of Winter) became the name of the Wiindigoo who descended from the stars. Therefore, whenever you gaze at the southwestern night sky to observe the Bebooniked Anangoog, the Winter Maker Star Constellation (Orion), rising, locate the red planet in the shoulder of the Winter Bringer and recall who it was that formed the poles and bestowed upon us our winter traditions, including the New Year celebration...

Miigwech gibizindaw, thank you for listening.

*Source: Did Anishinaabe Celebrate New Years?

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