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Winter Solstice - December | First Peoples@Seneca | Seneca Students

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First Peoples@Seneca  Articles
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Winter Solstice - December

Winter Solstice - December

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  LEARNING   

Spiritual Storytelling with Elder Blu
This month, on December 21, we celebrate the Winter Solstice. On the longest night of the year, we celebrate the start of winter. It is a time when nature rests: the animals, plants, the land and the water. As nature rests, it encourages us to do the same thing. Mother Earth rests and heals so that she can give to us all again in the spring.  

For us humans, this is a time to go inward to settle in with family and the self, a time for stories and teachings. It is a time of self-reflection and reimagining our place in the world, and a time to give gratitude for all that has happened throughout the year. A time when we grow inwardly and ready ourselves to bloom again in the spring. 

  LEARNING   

On December 5th we welcomed the Little Spirit Moon.  The Anishinaabe story of how the Little Spirit Moon came to be started when Creator saw how fast humans were building a relationship with their physical selves and knew humans would need more to feel whole.  

The creator infused a brilliant light into the humans' hearts allowing them to feel love, grief, rage, compassion, and shame, and humans began to relate to one another through these emotions. Never had humans seen so much beauty in one another nor felt more connected. To protect this, the Creator blew one more final piece of light into each human. They called this ‘Little Spirit,” a force that flowed through the humans. It was profound because it informed each human of their inherent worth and well-being. The creator explained that the Little Spirit needed to be protected and cared for because it could be knocked out of humans if not treated right. 

The Little Spirit Moon teaches us to go inward and begin to think of all the ways we want and need to heal to live Mino Bimaadiziwin (a good life). This is also a time to reflect on what ‘a good life’ means to you and start visualizing in your mind what that would look like.

Odeyto welcomed First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students to celebrate Winter Solstice. We had a great time story sharing, feasting on Indian tacos and moose meat chili, and playing minute-to-win-it games for prizes. Each student that registered received a gift to help them with their studies and the colder months! Elder Blu gave teachings, and everyone shared their accomplishments from the semester. 


Senators vote to end the second-generation cutoff for ‘status Indians’  
This article discusses the recent Senate committee vote to amend Bill S-2 and end the “second-generation cutoff” in the Indian Act (1876), replacing it with a one-parent rule that allows anyone with status to pass it to their children. This change to the Indian Act (1876) could restore legal status and rights to entire generations of Indigenous peoples who were previously excluded. Indigenous peoples have been fighting discriminatory status laws for decades and this vote shows how laws created to erase Indigenous identities are finally being challenged in a meaningful way.  
 
Access supports and services during the holiday break
This year, Seneca Polytechnic is closed for winter break from Saturday, Dec. 20 to its reopening on Monday, Jan. 5.
Resolving academic issues before the break

Grades will be released on Thursday, Dec. 18 at approximately 9 a.m. If you have questions or need to resolve academic issues, Thursday, Dec. 18 and Friday, Dec. 19 are key dates to start the process.

The Service Hub and academic areas will be available until Friday, Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. for you to access before the holiday break. The Service Hub is your first point of contact and triage for all enquiries. To get in touch please contact: · The Service Hub by live chat, WhatsApp , SMS or visit us on campus

  • If you have an existing ticket with The Service Hub and would like to check the status of your case, follow these steps: o Go to The Service Hub portal, then select Log in
  • Log in using your Seneca email and password
  • Select My Services > My Cases. The status of any cases you have open will be shown in the "Status" column

Academic advisement and support to resolve academic issues will continue after we reopen on Monday, Jan. 5.

During the break
During the holiday closure, you will still be able to access:
  • The Service Hub virtually through the online portal and chatbot, both self-service options are available 24-7
  • Security Services through security@senecapolytechnic.ca or call 416.764.0911
  • Resources and support that are available if you are in crisis, have travel issues, or need immediate help during Seneca’s closure
  • Check MySeneca for the most up-to-date information

Seneca will reopen on Monday, January 5.

Our best wishes for a successful end of term and relaxing winter break!

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