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Wanishi! Aho! Tansi! Shéí! Boozhoo! Hąą! Hello!
As we enter the winter season, we celebrate the rich traditions that bring warmth, connection, and reflection to Native communities. Following, you’ll find highlights about a variety of winter customs, from the Ho-Chunk Nation’s Snow Snake Games to the tradition of Hoyan, celebrated by multiple tribes. We also explore the meaningful history and contemporary practices of Christmas in Native communities and the significance of the Winter Solstice in many tribal cultures. Plus, we’re shining a spotlight on important tribal initiatives, including the Oneida Nation’s new project for kinship families and the Bad River Band’s ongoing fight to protect their land and water.
Join us as we honor these time-honored traditions, celebrate recent milestones, and reflect on the resilience and strength of tribal communities near and far.
With warm wishes,
Your Wisconsin Family Connections Center Team
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Tribal Winter Traditions: Celebrating the Season Through Cultures and Customs
For many tribes, winter not only brings snow but also focuses on many traditions that are typically celebrated this time of year. Highlighted below are a few examples:
Snow Snake Games
The Ho-Chunk Nation has maintained its strong cultural heritage through generations, with the snow games standing out as a significant and revived tradition. These games not only celebrate the tribe’s history but also foster connections within the community. Participants craft their own snow snakes, using old techniques to make sure the wooden tools glide smoothly across the snow. In the game, everyone takes a turn throwing their snow snakes, and the one that travels farthest is the winner. Historically, snow snakes were used by the tribe to help them navigate deep snow during hunting. Today, the games serve as a fun and meaningful way for Ho-Chunk members of all ages to unite, strengthening their cultural ties and community spirit. This tradition remains integral to the Ho-Chunk way of life, promoting unity and pride for future generations.
Click here to learn more!
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Christmas
Not all tribes or tribal people celebrate Christmas. Christmas celebrations in Native American communities have a complex history, influenced by both European colonization and tribal traditions. While Christianity was often forced on the Native American people, many later embraced it in their way. Today, many tribal people celebrate Christmas by singing carols in their Native languages, holding nativity plays with Native actors, and attending church services. Some churches have midnight Mass, and Native American church members hold all-night ceremonies on Christmas Eve. Music plays a big part in the celebrations, with some Native artists recording Christmas songs in Native languages. Many communities also have traditional dances and powwows, like the Pueblo Tribes, which perform special dances and torch-lit processions on Christmas Eve.
Click here to learn more!
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Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice, which occurs on December 21, marks the day with the shortest daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. For many tribes that celebrate this, it begins a season of storytelling and ceremonies. This often includes honoring the sun, religious rituals, and community events. These celebrations may incorporate prayers for the new year, dancing, singing, feasting, and storytelling. People also wear traditional clothing, enjoy traditional foods, and make time to connect with nature and their surroundings while welcoming the new year with intention and respect.
Click here to learn more!
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Hoyan or New Year
Hoyan is a New Year’s Day tradition celebrated by the Haudenosaunee. This includes six nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. Families will prepare homemade donuts and hand them out to neighbors and children in their community. On New Year’s Day, children carry bags or pillowcases and go door-to-door, offering well wishes for the new year. In return, they will be given homemade donuts or other treats. This tradition is similar to Halloween but focuses on community and sharing. Hoyan also often includes a feast with traditional foods like corn soup, squash, venison, and wild rice. Today, this tradition remains an important part of life for the Haudenosaunee people, bringing the community together to celebrate the New Year with joy and connection.
Click here to learn more!
Additional Resource: Welcoming a New Year
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Tribal Spotlights
Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Bad River: A Story of Defiance Documentary
"BAD RIVER" is a documentary that tells the story of the Bad River Band’s fight to protect their land and Lake Superior from the environmental threat of the Line 5 pipeline, impacting the tribe’s way of life.
Narrated by Quannah Chasinghorse and Edward Norton and directed by award-winning filmmaker Mary Mazzio, the film highlights the tribe’s battle against a history of injustice. It shows how Native communities, including the Bad River Band, continue to struggle for their sovereignty and protecting their treaty rights.
The documentary connects the tribe’s painful history, from forced boarding schools to the Walleye Wars, with their ongoing fight against the aging pipeline. It also emphasizes the deep cultural and spiritual connection the Bad River Band has to its land and water and its commitment to keeping it safe for future generations.
Through interviews with elders, legal experts, and community members, the film reveals the sacrifices and injustices endured by the Bad River Band in its efforts to protect its land and the environment. It also encourages viewers to support the tribe’s efforts for justice and a sustainable future.
The film has been streaming on Xfinity and can now be viewed on Peacock.
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Oneida Nation Family Services Department
Congratulations to the Oneida Nation Family Services Department on being selected for the Bridging Systems for Kinship Families Tribal Initiative!
The Oneida Nation Family Services Department was one of two tribes/agencies in the country selected to participate in the Bridging Systems for Kinship Families Tribal Program. This exciting opportunity was announced in August 2024 by the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) and the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network. It will allow the Oneida Nation to work with top experts to enhance services for kinship caregivers.
Supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and organizations like Generations United, NICWA will provide free, in-depth assistance to strengthen kinship care services within the Oneida community. Focusing on culturally relevant, evidence-based practices, the tribe will co-develop a comprehensive action plan to support grandparents and other kinship caregivers.
At the heart of this initiative is the Oneida Nation's vision of Tsyakitsy^tha—"healing families together." This is especially vital in the Oneida community, where kinship caregivers play a key role in preventing children from entering foster care and providing culturally aligned placements in accordance with the Wisconsin Indian Child Welfare Act.
Over the next two years, the Oneida Nation will collaborate with internal and external partners to break down barriers, enhance kinship services, and build impactful partnerships. The program will focus on improving tribal kinship navigator services, Native American Caregiver Support Programs, and tribal/state child welfare system collaboration.
Congratulations again to the Oneida Nation! This collaboration will create lasting, positive changes for kinship families and inspire other tribes nationwide.
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Historical Milestone: A Step Toward Hope and Healing for Tribes
On October 25, 2024, Native American tribes received an official apology from the U.S. government for the harm caused by government-run boarding schools, where, for over 150 years, children were taken from their families, abused, and forced to abandon their languages, cultures, and identities. This apology marks the first time the U.S. government has publicly acknowledged the harm caused by this practice.
The apology is a significant step toward healing for Native communities, recognizing the deep trauma that many Native families continue to experience today. It was delivered by President Joe Biden, who has supported efforts to strengthen Native communities, and Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a U.S. Cabinet member.
The boarding school system, which operated between 1819 and 1969, involved over 18,000 Native children being sent to more than 400 schools across the U.S., where they were often prohibited from speaking their native languages or practicing their traditions. These schools were a central part of the long history of forced assimilation and cultural erasure that Native communities faced.
In 2021, a dedicated initiative was launched to examine the legacy of these schools and their long-term impact on Native communities. The effort aims to understand the depth of this historical trauma and support Native peoples on their journey of healing and self-determination.
This apology is a significant step in acknowledging the painful history experienced by Native communities. It highlights the ongoing resilience and strength of Native tribes as they continue to fight for justice, cultural preservation, and healing. It is a reminder that the past must be recognized to move forward and build a future of respect and understanding.
To read more about this, click on the news article and resource links below:
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List of Native American Books recently added to the Wisconsin Family Connections Center (WIFCC) Resource Library
Eight new books recommended by families and professionals from the tribal communities were recently added to the WIFCC Resource Library. They include:
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The People Shall Continue, by Simon J. Ortiz
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Native American Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories, by Rita J. Simon & Sarah Hernandez
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"A Child of the Indian Race”: A Story of Return, by Sandy White Hawk
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Two Worlds – Lost Children of the Indian Adoption Projects, by Trace A. DeMeyer & Patricia Cotter-Busbee
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The Great Vanishing Act – Blood Quantum and the Future of Native Nations, by Kathleen Ratteree & Norbert Hill
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Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message, by Chief Jake Swamp
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My Powerful Hair, by Carole Lindstrom
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All Around Us, by Xelena Gonzalez
Explore these books and other resources available for checkout from our WIFCC Resource Library, or find them at your local library. If you have book recommendations for the WIFCC Resource Library, we would love to hear from you! Please email us at info@wisconsinfamilyconnectionscenter.org.
| Recorded Tribal Trainings | |
Click on the link(s) below to access the recently added recorded tribal trainings and/or to register for an upcoming tribal webinar via the Wisconsin Family Connections Center Classroom on Champion Classrooms.
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The WiFCC website, https://wifamilyconnectionscenter.org/, has a calendar of training opportunities, conferences, family fun events, and more.
If you need technical assistance navigating the website and would like to connect directly with a member of our Resource Team to ask questions or to learn about additional resources, e-mail us at info@wifamilyconnectionscenter.org or call our toll-free number at 1-800-762-8063.
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We Value Your Input!
While we continue to collaborate with various partners in the tribal communities to gather their insights for these newsletters, your feedback remains crucial in shaping their future. We warmly invite you to share your thoughts and suggestions on the topics, stories, or features you’d like to see in upcoming issues. Together, we can create a newsletter that genuinely reflects the interests and needs of tribal communities in Wisconsin, ensuring caregivers of Native children and the general public stay informed.
Please send your feedback to the Wisconsin Family Connections Center at info@wisconsinfamilyconnectionscenter.org or call us at 1-800-762-8063.
Thank you!
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