| Changing of the Seasons Ceremony 2009 |
| Friday, 25 September 2009 18:02 |
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The 8th annual Changing of the Seasons Ceremony recently held on Obabika Lake was a huge success. Sixty people gathered for the fall celebration on the traditional Misabi Family terriroies hosted by Family Head, Alex Mathias. This year was marked by the return of many familiar faces from past gatherings including seven original Red Squirrel Road Blockaders. Also of note was the participation of Alex's friends and neighbors from the area serviced by Hwy 805, in particular Emerald Lake. About a dozen children of various ages took time out from play to listen to the stories and speak their names as the feather was passed to them to speak their truth.
The proceedings were lead this year by Alex. Alex explained the importance of the observance of seasons and told stories of this life as a youth on Obabika Lake and his eventual return to live by more traditional means. He also spoke of the struggle for justice the Temagami people have had from the early days of Europeans discovering the continent that still continue unsettled in the courtrooms of today.
The observances were followed by a traditional feast, guided hikes through the Old Growth Forest leading to Spirit Rock and a non-traditional beach sauna. |
