Seasonal wellness refers to the idea of shaping the way we live to align with the natural world as it changes throughout the year.
In Western medicine, aspects of wellness are examined mainly through how our bodies feel. However, many people view wellness in the form of four quadrants (some Indigenous people refer to this as the medicine wheel) as they relate to the spiritual, emotional, physical and mental states of being. Together, they represent a wholistic view of wellness, which aligns with the First Nations Perspective on Health and Wellness.
There are other quadrants, such as the four directions (north, south, east and west), the four stages of life (infant, youth, adult and Elder), and the four seasons (spring, summer, fall and winter). While there are variations in beliefs between Nations and across diverse landscapes, there are many teachings that take a viewpoint toward the four quadrants.
Seasonal wellness is also referred to as a “seasonal round,” and can be used to explore the four seasons by examining the specific activities that take place during those times. Much like the four quadrants of a wheel, the seasonal round is depicted as a circle, turning as the seasons turn into each other:
“As you move around this circle, you’ll see that we spend much of our time outside during the warmer months, and closer to the winter we move inside and activities reflect this. The colonized system of work and movement throughout the year works against the way the Earth works. Hence, we now have things like burnout and seasonal affective disorder and we are prone to seasonal mental health challenges. In today’s world, we aren’t following the seasons natural rhythm and flow. This flow is directly related to Indigenous health and wellness on so many levels.” – Jolene Wesley, Tsimshian Nation, FNHA Coordinator, Traditional Wellness
Depending on the stage of the seasonal round, we may collect traditional foods and medicines, hold specific cultural ceremonies, and observe traditions and celebrations. We may also live in or move to more fertile or abundant grounds, and adapt to the specific weathers or climates of traditional territories.
As you explore FNHA’s seasonal wellness web section, note that the cultural teachings, ceremonies, protocols and knowledge vary greatly depending on the Nation. Information in this section is shared with the goal of promoting understanding of Indigenous perspectives and, specifically, how seasonal wellness is a core component of First Nations ways of knowing and being.
Seasonal wellness
Since time immemorial, First Nations people have not followed a paper calendar, but rather observed time based on the changing cycles of Mother Earth and the moon, and the appearance of plants and animals. The spring equinox (the day the sun crosses the celestial equator) holds cultural significance and symbolism for many communities as changing from the cold and dark winter to the warm and bright days ahead.
Spring is the “waking up” season, as the winter comes to an end and medicines begin to grow again, and fish and animals return to their usual fishing and hunting grounds.
Because of the diversity between traditional territories, different communities experience spring in different ways and at different times. While in Western cultures spring may take place officially on a certain date, for First Nations people it depends on many factors.
In the North, where the snows are later to recede and melt, spring comes much later. On the coast, where the climate is mild, spring may come early. However, whenever spring may begin, it is often treated in similar ways by communities, who start making preparation to gather the fresh bounty appearing around them.
“Spring is very busy. The earth wakes from its winter slumber and we prepare to start gathering berries, roots, shoots, medicines and fish. Within the spring cycle are smaller cycles, for example certain medicines come up first, or certain fish which run first. This is also the time some of us prepare for or start our ceremonies.” – Jolene Wesley, Coordinator, Traditional wellness, FNHA.
The shift from winter to spring also means moving from sharing stories in the longhouse around a sacred fire, to sharing knowledge around land-based activities. The transfer of knowledge is an activity that is always happening. Elders, aunties and uncles pass on knowledge to younger people about hunting, gathering and fishing, that is then passed down to future generations. Whether it be processing and preservation tricks or sharing stories about traditional gathering grounds, the incredible wealth of knowledge is always abundant.
See related pages to spring wellness below.