June 21st is the longest (or shortest, depending on where you are) day of the year, marking the beginning of summer (or winter!).

It became known as the solstice—“sol” (sun) and “sistere” (to stand still)—when ancients realised the sun stopped moving northward in the sky: and started moving backwards. The solstice has been celebrated for centuries, and many cultures continue to honour it in all sorts of ways. 

Tribal Wisdom and Oyoo Earth are honouring this richness in cultural heritage by hosting an event spotlighting Indigenous Solstice customs. By sharing indigenous stories of celebrations and ceremonies— that have been Christianized over the years— they hope to celebrate their way of living naturally, so we can learn from those living by indigenous values.

The slow disappearance of traditional indigenous knowledge

If only we could live in harmony with nature, in peace and sustainability, connected and loved, with a true sense of belonging... Do you recognize yourself in this longing?  

Humanity has lived on this earth relatively peacefully and even thrivingly for thousands of years. What happened to our symbiosis with nature, and how can we get it back?

Tragedies stemming from colonialism— which happened mainly in the Americas, Africa and Asia to Indigenous People— lead to disconnection from ancestral land and traditions. With globalisation, urbanisation, and individualisation, many (young) people have found themselves removed from their roots, families, and traditions.

For instance, the Sharecroppers in Central Italy had households of zero waste: what we now call ‘systems thinking’, where everything was connected and in balance. Life was not easy or abundant, but it was pure and simple. Elders would have loved to pass on their wholesome lifestyle of self-sustenance and living with the land, but younger generations went to the cities or into the professions the educational system favoured.

Connecting modern life to traditional wisdom

Do you ever wonder how much of valuable ancestral knowledge is passed on to the next generation? 

Tribal Wisdom offers a simple yet effective solution: giving space and a voice to those who are connected to the land. Elder and traditional wisdom holders are in tune with the seasons, animals, and the plant life that surrounds and nourishes us. By supporting them, we bridge the time when this lifestyle was common with the highly individualised and disconnected society of today.

You can benefit from this elder wisdom from the comfort of your home through their podcast, including lessons on sustainability from Chief Bill Erasmus of the Dene First Nation, and their blog, which holds the story of Aboriginal Elder Clarence Djanghara of Kalumburu.

You can also take part in a ‘Maker Day’ where people come together, tell stories by the fire, and learn to make something with natural materials. This is great for anyone interested in things like harvest cycles, indigenous philosophy, and local and seasonal traditions. 

Join Tribal Wisdom on their Solstice Knowledge Sharing event and learn about solstice ceremonies from all over the world!

Taking small steps to be more in tune with nature and our common ancestral roots is something we can all rejoice in. Tribal Wisdom provides these steps by building bridges between the different worlds. Help them to bring global access to local knowledge.

Written by Ana Moura