Volume 6, Issue 5, January 1997

K'ALIYEE

This time of the year our aboriginal brothers and sisters call K'aliyee, the season of the north winds when the prevailing weather comes off the glaciers and ice caps.

Aboriginal people see themselves in continuity with the natural world, and the timing of their religious celebrations reflects their attunement to a wider spectrum of the rhythms of nature than simply those of the sun and moon.

They think in terms of seasons. There is a season for doing each of the important and necessary things of life, and the seasons are known by the special activities that take place at the time. In British Columbia, for example, these include berry-picking, fishing, hunting, and trapping, all important for sustenance. At the close of each season, when food gathering and preserving are completed, the community gathers to celebrate through dance, song and the telling of legends, mythical stories and clan histories. At these times important community events occur, such as recognition and discharge of obligations (e.g., for care given at times of suffering and grief, for adoption or material assistance).

Every season is considered a special season, a time of thanksgiving to the Creator, the Supreme Spirit and Provider. Each season is part of the continuing circle of creation, in which all beings share, and therefore, is a sacred time.

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"Religion NOW" is published in limited edition by the Rev. Ross E. Readhead, B.A., B.D., Certificate of Corrections, McMaster University, in the interest of furthering knowledge and participation in religion. Dialogue is invited and welcomed.