First Nations Moons

Last night saw the 13th full moon of 2020. (Or some of us did. It was pretty snowy and cloudy here.)

Ancient cultures around the world marked time by the consistent patterns of the moon, and the people who lived here in Wisconsin before European explorers arrived were no exception.

Where we live is native Potawatomi land. (Check out this interactive map to find out who originally lived where you do.) And the Potawatomi have names for each of the moons, marking time across the seasons.

Last night, fittingly, was the Snow Moon, or bbon gises. Other nations call it Winter Moon, Deer sheds his antlers Moon, and many more.

What would you name each of the moons in our new year? How would you mark the seasons by them?

One of my very favorite picture books introduces this concept, blending it with the facts that turtles have 13 scutes, or scales, on their top shell. Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back is a masterpiece by Joseph Bruchac, and worth having on hand for all the moons.