Dagwaagin, it is Autumn.

Waatebagaa-Gizis (Leaves Turning Colour Moon) is the time when we return to school after summer break. 

Our gardens are sown with this in mind, growing mostly fall crops that are ready when students return. 

Here you see the Three Sisters: Corn, Bean, Squash. Grown together, they support on another and enrich the soil. Eaten together, they provide a meal rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. All three store well for the winter, too.

During this season, we spend time with the life in and around the pond. We watch flowers change from blooms to seed heads, harvesting some seeds for next year and leaving the rest to reseed naturally or to be eaten by the birds. Medicines are gathered and dried. As the seasons change, some birds depart and some arrive.

In all the ways we come know the land, we learn how well we are supported and sustained by the Earth. 

"What we do to the land, we do to ourselves. Take care of the land because the land takes care of you."
- Elder Dan Thomas