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Learnings Under the Freezing Moon - November | First Peoples@Seneca | Seneca Students

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First Peoples@Seneca  Articles
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Learnings Under the Freezing Moon - November

Learnings Under the Freezing Moon - November

  • Category: News

  LEARNING   

Spiritual Storytelling with Elder Blu
On November 5th we welcomed the Baashkaakodin-Giizis (Freezing Moon). This moon brings the Star Nation closest to us. It’s a period of preparation for fasting and a time to learn sacred teachings and songs. As every creature prepares for the coming fasting and colder months, we are reminded to prepare ourselves for our spiritual path by learning the sacred teachings and songs that will sustain us. It is a time for all our relations to reflect on their own cultural traditions and stories as well as their values and stories rooted within them. 

Be sure to follow the First Peoples@Seneca team on Instagram for Elder Blu’s monthly moon teachings.

  LEARNING  

Emotional Balance for Work and School
In alignment with the Freezing moon, the stars are closest to us this time of year, bringing heightened sensitivity and intuition. It is said, in the Anishinaabe culture, that our energy fields are highly attuned during the ‘Freezing moon’ cycle, so it is important that we learn to protect our dreams, hearts and energy. 

We protect our energy by grounding ourselves to the earth and within. The easiest way to ground ourselves to the earth is by going for a walk outside and taking notice of nature. By acknowledging nature, we become more connected with each step and allow the earth’s energy to fill our spirits. To ground yourself within, you can sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and do a body scan. Starting from the top of your head to your feet, taking notice of each part of your body and how it feels.  

For those more courageous, we can take a more existential approach and learn from the wolf. In Anishinaabe storytelling it is said that the spirit animal of the wolf symbolizes the freezing moon and as the wolf howls towards the sky world, they call the healing energies that are needed for our long winters path ahead. The wolf is our protector and carries the medicine of energetic boundaries.  

Try this: 

  • Engage all your senses 
  • Set self-preserving boundaries 

  LEARNING   

In our last newsletter, we shared an article on Pow Wow protocols that we hope you found helpful. It is our intention to re-release this in our April edition. Why is this important information? Because it means we have, from now to then, to get our inter-tribal dance skills ready for the 2026 Pow Wow trail.  

Pow Wow dancing is very physical, and you need to have stamina to keep up with the drums and singers. There are many styles of Pow Wow and traditional dances such as fancy shawl dancers, hoop dancers, grass dancers and jingle dress dancers — all with a story and purpose to share in ceremony and in communities. For now, let's focus on getting our bodies ready. 

  LEARNING   

‘We have a way to save communities’: Cultural fire keepers share knowledge across colonial borders
This article discusses the first National Indigenous Fire Gathering that took place in Penticton, BC, late September. The gathering brought together over 100 Indigenous fire keepers from Canada, the United States, and Australia to share traditional fire knowledge and promote Indigenous-led land stewardship. The article highlights how cultural burning, supports ecosystem health, prevents devastating wildfires and strengthens cultural and spiritual relationships with the land. 

As November marks the Freezing Moon, this article is especially timely to read, outside of fire season, when we can reflect with empathy and understand fire as a healing and life-giving force rather than the destructive force seen during wildfire season. It’s also an important piece because it reveals the deep cultural and knowledge sharing among Indigenous communities worldwide, showing a united effort to restore balance through traditional fire practices. Overall, the article reminds readers that Indigenous fire stewardship provides not only environmental solutions but also pathways toward reconciliation and renewed respect for the land. 

 

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