SCHOOL DISTRICT5SOUTHEASTKOOTENAY

Winter Solstice - December 21, 2024 - the darkest and shortest day of the year

"A Message from Elder Derek Courchene:

For Nokomis-Aki/Grandmother Earth, winter is a time of rest as a white blanket covers the land.

It is during this time the Atsokanan are told. Atsokanan are the life teachings of relationships to each another, the animals, and the land. These stories are shared through the experiences of Nanabush or Wesakachak. 

Winter solstice is a time to acknowledge and honour the earth. Some consider this as the beginning of the New Year and as a time of reflection, a time of being close to family, and preparation for the future. Many Indigenous Nations acknowledge this day as an opportunity for our people to begin to reconnect to our ancestral blessings and ways of knowing.  This year Winter Solstice is on December 21st, and as we celebrate this day with all the Indigenous people around the world, take time to acknowledge the Earth and the thankfulness of our place on the land, our shelters, our food, our water, and our medicines."