Spirituality
First Nations, MĂ©tis, and Inuit nations across the country have a wide variety of spiritual and religious beliefs. Common to most spiritual traditions are creation stories, tricksters, transformers, culture heroes, and the importance of sacred organizations. Many indigenous people also share the idea of the Great Spirit, a power of some kind that created the world and everything in it. Attached to spiritual beliefs in indigenous culture are ritual objects like the calumet (pipe), drums, masks, and medicine wheels. Although these are common threads through indigenous religion and spirituality, each nation has their own particular beliefs and stories. Below are some examples:
Names of the Great Spirit
- Orenda – Haudenosaunee Peoples
- Wakan – Dakota Peoples
- Manitou – Algonquin Peoples
Examples of Tricksters
- Coyote – Mohawk Peoples
- Nanabush/Nanabozo – Ojibwe Peoples
- Raven – Haida, Inuit Peoples
Traditional Foods
Historically, Indigenous people of Canada lived off the land on which they resided, eating foods such as bannock, moose, deer, bison, and whale as well as gathering things like berries, grains, and corn. Each indigenous nation would eat the foods that were in their particular region, contributing to the great variety of indigenous foods in Canada. Today, indigenous communities in Canada are working to restore as much of their traditional food practices as possible, after their food systems were decimated by being forced off of their lands throughout Canadian history. Traditional food systems are key to indigenous livelihood, subsistent lifestyle, and health and well-being. Additionally, food costs in remote indigenous communities have skyrocketed and grocery stores could be a days trip away, so traditional hunting and gathering practices not only maintain indigenous culture, they are much more sustainable for many indigenous communities.
Important Cultural Practices
Indigenous cultural practices, once again, vary widely across nations. Below are some important examples:
Smudging
The four sacred medicines – tobacco, sage, sweetgrass, and cedar – are burned to create smoke which is then fanned towards something to be cleansed. This practice if often used at the beginnings of events to provide a clean slate.
Powwows
A Powwow is an opportunity for indigenous (and non-indigenous) people to gather and celebrate indigenous music, dances, foods, and art. These celebrations showcase indigenous culture and heritage, and share cultures between groups.
“And for many Indigenous, First Nations, MĂ©tis and Inuit peoples, variations of a customary tradition known as the naming ceremony is a momentous family occasion. This essential cultural practice of establishing the identity of a new baby was—and is—integral to our familial bonding and establishing kinship with our community.”
Selena Mills
Naming Ceremonies
Many indigenous communities have naming ceremonies, where children or adults are given a traditional or spirit name. The specifics of this ceremony differ greatly, but the essence is to connect to indigenous spirituality and ancestors.
Experience Indigenous Culture in Canada
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, located in Winnipeg, houses a permanent art exhibit titled “Truth and Reconciliation”, as well as many other exhibits showcasing indigenous history and culture. Explore the Museum virtually HERE
The Witness Blanket, displayed at the Museum, was created to honour the history of residential school survivors, containing over 800 pieces of residential school history.
Ku’Kum Kitchen, in midtown Toronto, offers re-imagined indigenous cuisine, stressing respect for each individual ingredient given to us by the land, as Chef Joseph Shawana was taught growing up on the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Reserve.
The Great Lakes Cultural Camps is a year-round mobile Anishinaabe outdoor education centre that provides land and water cultural experiences emphasizing the value of land-based learning. These camps are a great way to learn and experience Anishinaabe culture. Great Lakes Cultural Camps also offers virtual sessions to accommodate as many participants as possible!
Sources
- https://humanrights.ca/
- https://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/env/traditional_foods_safety_paper_final.pdf
- https://arrivein.com/daily-life-in-canada/a-newcomers-introduction-to-indigenous-cultures-in-canada/
- https://www.enchantingtravels.com/travel-blog/exploring-indigenous-culture-in-canada/
- https://www.nwac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2012-Diabetes-Traditional-Foods-and-Recipes.pdf
- https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/religion-of-aboriginal-people
- https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/powwows-editorial
- https://www.todaysparent.com/family/family-life/what-having-a-naming-ceremony-for-my-kids-meant-to-me/
- https://thewalrus.ca/the-history-of-food-in-canada-is-the-history-of-colonialism/