chapter one
The Land
Is Our Soul
O ur people believe that the earth and all the creatures that live on it are a gift from the Creator. This beautiful land of lakes, forests, rivers, plains, and mountains is a gift from the Almighty and it must be respected and treated properly.
The Almighty prepared this land for us, and the hand of the Almighty guides the earth through the seasons.
The Four Directions
. F irst Nations culture and religion rely heavily on the belief in the power and mystery of the four directions. This belief is ingrained in our prayers and the way we look at the earth.
The honouring of the four directions is universal among the First Nations of the plains and woodlands. There are, however, variations among the different cultural groups. I am of the Cree nation, so I have been taught from that point of view.
The symbol of the four directions is shown in paintings, on tipis, in beadwork, and in other artistic media. The symbols of four arrows are used to depict the four directions. In addition, the number four is sacred, and many ceremonies are repeated four times in order to worship each of the four directions.
The story of the four directions, also known as the four winds, is that they are brothers, and, like brothers, they sometimes fight among themselves.
There are two other brothers who were created to help the people: Flint and Rabbit. Flint gave the people the gift of fire, and Rabbit gave the gift of food. The Almighty told the people that in times of famine and shortage of food there would always be rabbits for the people to eat.
The North is represented by the colour white and is called Kewatin. Kewatin is a cold, fierce northern wind that brings us winter. Kewatin was the brother who wanted to rule the world, and when he was denied this power, he turned against the earth and came south and ravaged the land every year.
The South is represented by yellow and is known as Sawin, or the healing wind. Sawin and Kewatin dont get along and they affect the land as they fight and force each other in one direction or the other.
The changes in the seasons are explained by the fighting of these two brothers. Kewatin will come storming down from the north in the autumn and chase Sawin to the south. Sawin in return will take the ducks, geese, and other waterfowl with him to protect them from the ravages of the coming winter. Other animals such as the bear and small ground animals like gophers and groundhogs will go away and sleep, waiting for Sawins return. Kewatin will then freeze the land, bringing with him the great herds of caribou to feed the people during the winter.
In a few months, Kewatin will be tired and spent from all the cold and storms he must create. Then Sawin will once again gain the upper hand and come back and chase the weaker Kewatin to the north. Kewatin will travel north and spend the summer months resting up for his journey to the south and another battle with his brother Sawin.
Sawin is also called the healing wind because he heals the land, brings new life, and allows the birds return to raise their young before Kewatin returns from the far north. The eastern Arctic is known as the district of Kewatin in honour of the place where the North Wind lives.
The other two directions are also very important because they regulate the length of the days and are the keepers of the sun.
The East Wind, or Wapun, keeps the sun and releases it every morning for its journey across the heavens. The East is represented by the colour red. If you watch the sun come up, you will see the red in the clouds. In Cree, Wapun means the dawn of a new day.
The West, or Nepawanuk, takes the sun each night and returns it to the East so a new day will dawn. Nepawanuk is a Cree word meaning the place where the sun goes down. It is represented by the colour black.
The West is a very kindly direction. Nepawanuk made a promise that he would look after the dead, so the West is the destination for people when they die and go to the spirit world. The West is the keeper of the spirits. The West also provides a constant wind that dries the land. At one time, the West Wind scolded his brother Wapun and told him that both good and bad could come from the East and he must be vigilant. The prophecy would come true with the arrival of the Europeans, who brought both good and bad.
These four directions are honoured for their gifts to humankind. Each one brings with it gifts that people can use, but the givers of gifts must be honoured and their contribution recognized. When we have our pipe ceremonies, the pipe is pointed in the four directions and a prayer is given to each direction. The same thing holds true for the sweat lodge. Four prayers are given to the four directions, and, after each, the rocks are sprinkled with water. When people go on a fast, it lasts four days to honour each of the four directions. A sundance lasts four days, and if a person hosts a sundance he must host it four times. Later, when the government outlawed the sundance, it was only held for one and a half days because of fear that it would be shut down.
O ne summer I heard a beautiful story.
A young man had died before his time. The funeral party was passing a pasture on the way to the graveyard. As they passed the pasture, four horses appeared and stood quietly beside the fence. One was a sorrel, or red, another was a palomino, or yellow, and the other two were black and white the colours of the four directions. The four horses walked along the fence line following the mourners.
When the family saw the four horses they knew in their hearts that the spirits had come to take the young mans spirit home to the West.
The four directions represent an important part of our history and culture. They explain the seasons, they contain teachings to make us a stronger people, and they help to heal the wounds of our people.
The Creation Story Wesakechak
T he West Wind had a son named Wesakechak. Wesakechak was a young man who often got in trouble. One day he was on the coast when he spied some baby seals. He got closer and killed one with his spear. The other seals got very angry and caused waves in the ocean that flooded the land.
Wesakechak was forced to flee for his life. He built a raft to save himself from drowning. A beaver and a muskrat climbed on board, and soon they were joined by other animals.
Wesakechak and his new companions were trapped on the raft in the middle of a great sea. There was no land, the world was only water. The Creator told Wesakechak that since he had outraged the seals and caused the flood, he would have to create a new world.
In order to create the world they first had to obtain some earth that could be used as the foundation. First the beaver dove to the bottom, but although he was gone for a long time, he came up without any dirt. The poor beaver was almost drowned, and Wesakechak thought it was hopeless.
The little muskrat asked if he could try. At first Wesakechak thought it was beyond his ability, but the muskrat insisted, so Wesakechak let him dive. The brave little animal dove in and swam as far down as he could. He was gone for a long time, and when he came to the surface he told Wesakechak that he had not found the bottom.
He tried again but was still unsuccessful. Wesakechak paddled the raft to another location, but still the little muskrat was unable to find the bottom of the sea.
