Spring might not be here yet, but the warmth of this month hasn’t just been in the weather.
The Winter Solstice is a time for rest, reflection, and rebirth
The Circle Teachings Team has had a lovely time participating in a variety of holiday markets throughout November and into December!
The seasons are changing again this year, and it has been lovely to look outside and watch the leaves transform. After such a hot summer, this cool break is very welcome. However, September is also an important time to remember the history of residential schools and genocide in Canada, and to reflect on what this season meant for thousands of children who were forced to leave their families. The second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will land on Orange Shirt Day, September 30th. Leading up to this day, we encourage everyone to take part in the many different truth-telling, supportive, and reconciliatory events happening across the country.
What a busy summer! This summer has been very active for our team! We hosted a booth at K-Days, we put out 2023 editions of our calendars, and our team is travelling to Wabasca this week to photograph the Renewing Our Spirit Youth Conference! We have finally been able to get out of lockdown and into the sun, and we are so happy to be able to engage with our friends in person once more. A lot has happened since our last blog post, and we are very excited to bring you new teachings from the community of Elders and Knowledge Keepers who lead our publications. We are currently still working on Stories from the kohkoms III , which was put on hold due to the teaching camps being cancelled. We hope to soon publish a new collection of stories, which we have compiled through individual interviews rather than one large group event. In addition, we would like to announce that we have begun work on a new series: Stories from the multicultural grandmothers . This series involves interviewing grandmothers and community Elders from various cultures, using the theme of food to connect them. Food is a universal need, and it plays different roles in many cultures. We hope that by interviewing multicultural grandmothers about food, that we can produce a calendar that will teach about the interconnectedness of humanity and the importance of passing down culture to new generations. Production of this project is ongoing, and anyone who would like to participate is invited to contact us to receive an information package and be screened for an interview! Thank you so much to everyone who has continued to support us, and to anyone new who is interested in learning through our materials!
It's what you've been waiting for: New story calendars and new editions of your favourites in our Stories from... series for 2021, now available for order and preorder! The holidays are almost here! We have you covered for your favourite calendar series, and we are ready to take orders for Stories from the kohkoms I, II , and (get ready for it) Stories from the kohkoms III ! We are also accepting preorders for Stories from the Powwow Circle , a brand new Circle Teachings calendar. And we have 2021 Stories from the bush and Stories from the Métis calendars available to buy now!
How are you doing out there? We know it's a tough time as we all adjust to life during a global pandemic. We hope you are finding ways to care for yourself and you community, and that we will emerge stronger and with a more keen sense of how precious life and connection truly are.
June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is a day for all Canadians to honour and celebrate the contributions of the original people of Turtle Island; the First Nation, Inuit and Métis Peoples. Despite limitations due to Covid-19. The following virtual presentation was completed through the pure and sincere dedication of Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members who wanted to ensure this day is still recognized! Virtual celebration program highlights: Grand entry O’ Canada in three languages: English, French and Cree Federal Family Message – RDG Jamie Brown and REO Rhonda Laboucan Jingle dress healing dance Métis Nation of Alberta President Audrey Poitras’ Special Message Métis Dancing Inuit Elder Edna Elias Special Message And more! On behalf of Circle Teachings, we thank everyone who made this virtual presentation possible. A special note of appreciation to Alberta’s National Indigenous Peoples Day Chairperson Heather Poitras, whose passion and prayers helped to inspire and drive this unique project. As a non-Indigenous partner, we are committed to helping with reconciliation and healing as we walk forward together. Our company produces cultural teaching calendars, many in partnership with Indigenous educators, Elders, and community members. More recently, we started making videos. If you have inquiries and would like to create your own products, we would be happy to hear from you. We sincerely hope you enjoy this year’s NIPD virtual celebration. We look forward to celebrating the signing on June 21, 2021! ENJOY
How is everyone doing out there? We know it has not been an easy Spring for most. We pray that you are all safe and healthy. During the pandemic, we have been reminded of some of the teachings our Elders and the ohkomak (grandmothers in Cree) have been sharing with us for years.