Ni kiskinohamâson means “I am learning.” Join Cree Knowledge Keeper Marilyn Dykstra for a learning experience as our Earth Mother enters the first of two Ininiwak winter seasons when the Red River will begin to freeze and the sap on the trees will begin to harden.

Marilyn will share how during the Freezing Water Moon, we prepare our homes for the cold and ourselves for our time of fasting. Individual strength is tested but resilience is found through the support of stories, songs and the ultimate protection of our home.

The workshop will also explore this time when we focus on how we relate within Wahkowtowin and provide hope for others in the community.

“Our ancestors are waiting to visit and dance with us in the northern skies because they fought hard to provide us with a plan and loved us into being,” Marilyn says.

This workshop is part of a monthly Wahkowtowin and Ways of Being series led by Knowledge Keeper Marilyn Dykstra. Each month, we will explore a variety of moon, pole and tea teachings in the Cree tradition.

Wahkowtowin – which translates to kinship – highlights how relationships, communities and the natural world are all interconnected.

Participants will discover and reflect on their connections with each other, with balance and with human rights through teachings and a traditional tea.