Every year the tribe celebrates the coming of the new seasons with ceremonies, feasts, and other special occasions. Before contact with Europeans, our Werowances (chiefs) would collect tribute from their people, and much of it was in the form of food that would be used for communal feasts celebrating the comings and goings of the seasons.


Spring - Seed Gathering
Sweat Lodge Ceremony, Seed Planting, Games, and Naming Ceremonies Held Mid-March

In the beginning of our year, the Earth awakens from her winter sleep and prepares to issue new growth and awaken the trees. Seedlines appear and sap begins to flow in the trees. Days become longer with more sunshine. Temperatures become moderate. Tribal members gather to celebrate Mother Earth and her awakening. Seeds are distributed to tribal members for new planting. The children are taught the ways to prepare and cultivate a garden. The children are told and shown how the ancestors planted and stored foods. All are encouraged to plant seeds and regularly tend to them through the growing season. In the way, all gain respect by nurturing the Earth and seeing food come from Mother Earth they planted and tended. A lifelong respect is gained for the need to take care of the Earth and keep it healthy so good food will continue to grow for our nourishment. We announce the names of children born since Fall, and conduct their naming ceremonies.


Summer - Feast from the Waters
Sweat Lodge Ceremony, Gathering, and Feast Held Mid-June

This time of year, the gardens are reaching maturity. The waters are filled with fish and crabs, announcing the time for the tribe to gather and feast on the abundance from the rivers and lakes. Tribal members bring fish, crabs, corn, clams, and other shellfish to the feast, and the youth are taught fishing and crabbing skills. During this time we celebrate the life's passages of our youth, including marriages, graduations, and passages into womanhood or manhood.


Fall - Green Corn Festival
Sweat Lodge Ceremony, Harvest, Fashion Show, and Elders' Feast Held Mid-September

As the end of the year becomes visible on the horizon, the Earth prepares for its rest. The trees become bright with Fall colors, and the plants are ready for harvest. During this time of natural maturity, the tribe comes together to celebrate the bounty of the harvest. We enjoy a sumptuous feast in celebration of our elders and as young adults preparing for higher pursuits, as well as a new addition to this old tradition: an Eastern fashinon show that showcases newly completed regalia made by our tribal members.


Winter - Feast for the Dead
Sweat Lodge Ceremony, Feast, and Remembrance Ceremony Held Mid-December

The Earth rests at the end of the year as the trees shed their leaves, the temperatures plunge, and our environment becomes frozen and still. The soils that bring our food are resting, and many of the animals that sustain us throughout the year are in hibernation preparing for the new year to come. During this time, we remember those who crossed over during the year, and celebrate their lives in feast and remembrance. Following the Feast for the Dead, we determine the dates for the following seasons' solstices to schedule the seasonal celebrations for the next year.