The 13-month Turtle Moon calendar is the natural calendar given to the Indigenous people of Turtle Island to remind them of their connection to Mother Earth and the natural forces that govern the seasons. Among many Indigenous cultures, oral histories describe how the pattern on the turtle’s back reveals 13 individual segments representing the 13 cycles of the moon. Each of the segments - or moons - represents a natural occurrence or practice of that season and each is named to reflect the close connection between the cycles of the moon and plant and animal life on Turtle Island.
Artist Heather Shillinglaw learned the stories of the Turtle Moons from elder Lynn Lush Desjarlais, member of Sandy Bay First Nation, and transformed these teachings into the 13 quilted, beaded, and painted ‘story images’ presented in this exhibition, Nokomis gizis, meaning “Grandmother Moon”. Nokomis gizis oversees the changing seasons, animal migrations, plant life cycles, and – perhaps most importantly – the energy that watches over the waters of the Earth. Shillinglaw and Lush examined star maps, charts and other indigenous moon cycle knowledge. They have collaborated to create programming that enhances the Nokomis gizis experience. We hope you can take part in one of the upcoming events focused on the resurgence of Indigenous culture and storytelling – see the Gallery Desk for details. Please scroll down to read Heather’s descriptions of each of the 13 Moons as you walk through the exhibition.
Heather Shillinglaw, a member of the Cold Lake First Nation, is a mixed-media artist that uses art collage to illustrate her familial oral histories and storytelling. Shillinglaw works with elders to build her knowledge of the land, and her art in turn honours them. Paramount to her practice is sharing land-based knowledge through art in workshops and school programs.
Artwork Descriptions
Shillinglaw credits support from Elders Lynn Lush, a member of Sandy Bay Reserve, and Shirley Norris-Shillinglaw, a member of Cold Lake First Nations.
MNIDO GIIZIS - SPIRIT MOON (JANUARY)
The image is a Creation moon. Elder Lynn shares that this is the time for us to reflect on purification; of mind, body, and spirit, and a time when legends are told. This is a process of reflection, of silence, greater understanding, of centering within us, and when snow covers the earth. My mother, Elder Shirley, shares that the Waawaate legends, aurora borealis, tell of spirits coming to visit us, to help guide us. This moon and the lines coming out of the moon are oversized compared to other moons in the series, and includes haloshine threads stitched in for an iridescent effect. The eagle silhouette signifies the ‘spirit world’, or Creator, holding its prey, the sucker fish. The hardest time to gather food, nature provides through ice fishing.
MKWA GIIZIS - BEAR MOON (FEBRUARY)
For this full moon of Mkwa Giizis, I used a soft baby crocheting yarn that unravels in places. This worked perfectly to explore the ‘fog-like effect’ when I brushed the yarn upwards on the piece. This is important to note because baby bears are born in the month of February in a thick fog. In this month we can sometimes catch a fantastic sight of dibiki-giizis, moon dog. This is when the air is thick and cold, when moonlight refracts off ice crystals, and the cirrus clouds are high in the sky. As an observation of the night sky, I wanted to express the moon dog in beads stitched in a circle representing the light crystals.
ZIISSBAAKDOKE GIIZAS - SUGAR MOON (MARCH)
This moon highlights the wonderful gift of maple syrup. Using a maple leaf as a symbol, during this time there are remains of fall leaves on the ground. Lynn and I talked about the deer and how hungry they are in the spring. Some of their favourite snacks are the leaves, next the saplings; they will even dig to the roots and tear off the bark. We also talked about their surprisingly long tongues and how they lick the tree sap. I stitched a drip of maple syrup to reiterate the special time of year, so you see it stitched in beads dripping from the moon. In this month in 2021 we also saw the appearance of Venus which is know in Ojibway as I’kwe Anug, women’s star. I honour this knowledge in that the star is in our night sky for nine months every year, the gestation for women during pregnancy.
NAMEBINE GIIZIS - SUCKER MOON (APRIL)
Namebine giizis represents the sucker fish as a symbol of the spiritual path. Elder Lynn explains that cleansing and water beings guide us, how the fish is lead to the path of entering the spirit world, and how our reflection can be observed from the water ripples of our soul. The sucker fish providing us with food in the coldest months of January and February reminds us that this fish is among the many gifts we receive from the Creator. The silhouette of the fish contains imagery of the water where the fish flourishes, and the brightness of light kissing the water to guide the fish into the spirit world. I have learned that at this time the fish journey to spawn and then on to spirit realm, so I stitched the fish traveling by the milky way as the spiritual connection to the stars and creation.
Waabegun teapekeysis - FLOWER MOON (MAY)
The super moon that we saw in 2021 is a special one that we see during a lunar eclipse, when the moon is closest to Earth. The eclipse turns the moon reddish, also known as a "blood moon." In using a pink silk paint, all the tones of red reflect important details of the flower moon. Lynn mentioned that we as humans should understand that through astrological storytelling, the many lunar events in 2021 represented a warning. I stitched in the bee as the flower’s main source of pollination. Elders talked about another environmental challenge - that without the wildflowers we will see the start of our demise as the relationship of flowers to bees is integral to our survival. I also included the star constellations highlighting Mishi Bizhiw, the underwater ‘great panther’. In this legend, the currents and movement of water in spring are because of this creature. When traveling by canoe you must leave tobacco to support your journey and have Mishi Bizhiw guide you.
ODE’MIIN GIIZIS - STRAWBERRY MOON (JUNE)
This moon is at the heart, meaning the stories around strawberries express the love for Mother Earth. It is a main feature in feasts and is shared with the community. The shape of the strawberry mimics the shape of a real heart. It is good medicine for internal organs, digestion, and vitamin C. This month is the harvest month for strawberries. The strawberry provides us with important teachings of the humility of working together when you harvest - together you can gain an abundance. I learned that Wah-boose, rabbits, will eat the entire plant, and that while eating strawberries they will stain the fur around their mouths so they look like murderous rabbits! I playfully have the Wah-boose jump over the moon. The spring constellation in this piece is the Noondeshin Bemaadizid, Sweatlodge or the bather. This is the time when you gather for spring solstice for spiritual guidance and to go to sweat (ceremony of self reflection and to connect with the spirit world).
MSKOMINI GIIZIS - RASPBERRY MOON (JULY)
This moon helps us with the teachings of gentleness and kindness in that we learn through the thorns on the bush of the raspberry that we need to be gentle while picking, while sharing by leaving some berries for other creatures in the natural world. This is the kindness that we can have for Manitou, Spirit, as all creatures need to harvest. This also helps the rebirth of the plant to replenish energies and grow by spreading it seeds. When thinking about these teachings we are reminded of taking care of our families and teaching these principals. I chose the deer because the mother deer takes care of her young and lives with a herd, relying on one another. As a fun fact, they also can digest the entire plant. They would ‘prune’ the top of the raspberry bush for us out by Cooking Lake, a stone’s throw from Ministik Conservation Land, a dark sky preserve also known by my ancestors as Beaver Hills. I was always in awe of the Gaagige Giizhig (Forever Sky) and Ishpeming (the Sky Above).
DATKAAGMIN - BLACKBERRY or THIMBLEBERRY MOON
This important plant has an abundance of fruit every three years and is recognised as one of the sacred circles of life, reminding us of the teachings from the spirit world. This berry reminds us that life is a gift and we acknowledge to share and live with one another. The animal Misko-waagosh, red fox in Ojibway, delicately eats the berries, combing through the bush to pick them. The red fox live together, sharing food with one another. Shirley and I talked about another legend between the Wah-boose and the Ongwe las – the rabbit and the fox. In the end, the Ongewe las (fox) was tricked by rabbit and ended up in the blackberry patch thorns. During this month in 2021 we were touched by the power of creation - the sky being lit by Perseid meteor shower. In the start of creation, A ikwe, woman, fell from the Anung aki, star world. Earth was then hit by Gwiingwa, shooting star. This is where life began. This is why I have added the meteors, stitched, and painted into the black canvas to honour these teachings. The rings around the moon echo age-old legends, a connection with the natural world.
MDAAMIIN GIIZIS - CORN MOON (AUGUST)
The ‘Indian corn moon’ represents the sacred plant and highlights the Midaaso-ishi-niswi, thirteen rows, that reflect the number of months in a year and provides food for generations. This also highlights the spirits awaiting their earth walk. I had connected the silk as a metaphor of ‘spirits’ using silver, reflective, haloshine threads to mimic this teaching - from the plant to the wrapping of the moon. At the end of the summer, the Ajiijaak/Bineshi Okanin, crane constellation, flies over the night sky.
BIINAAKWE GIIZIS - FALLING LEAVES MOON (SEPTEMBER)
This month highlights the grand colours that Manitou, Creator, offers for us and reminds us of the energy in the plants that will go into the roots to restore life in the spring. The owl silhouette is made up of falling leaves; Elders talked about this being a special time when we prepare for teachings in winter months. In modern times, this is the month that kids go back to school. I have chosen the owl as this is a shared symbol of wisdom. The moon echoes the falling leaves with one dangling, made of glass. The muted, stitched colours on the gold, deer hide moon express Mother Nature’s show of colours. The constellation of the Mooz, moose, makes an appearance as this animal approaches the mating season.
MSHKAWJI GIIZIS - FREEZING MOON (OCTOBER)
In this piece, the female moose, shown in large appliqué, appears to accept the call for a mate. The stitched yarn and ‘glamour silver threads’ around the moon and moose activate the ‘freeze’. The couched, wispy sheep yarn is used because this animal adapts with the cold. I have incorporated silver stitching to represent the ‘silver-like lining’ that the hoar frost makes while kissing the trees and the land. My mother, Elder Shirley Norris/Shillinglaw from the Legoff Indian Reserve, has spoken about hoar frost because of the medicines in trees preserved and restored in dormancy as the natural world waits for spring. I have tried to express the season blending with these philosophies. The beaded stars—Big Dipper, Polaris (North Star), Little Dipper—are close together in the night sky and visible all year long. In Ojibway, Lynn explained that the Big Dipper is called Ojiig, the fisher, that leads across the sky on the hunt for spring, and Maang, the Little Dipper, is referred to as the loon. Together these stars guide us as we travel across the land and offer teachings to be used throughout our life.
MNIDOONS GIIZIS OONHG - LITTLE SPIRIT MOON (NOVEMBER)
The red road teachings are highlighted in this month. The mythical red road reminds us to travel in a good way, follow the traditional teachings, and live with good values. We are also reminded of the spirit of our ancestors. In this panel I highlight the beaver lodge and land teachings that the beaver teaches us that this is a time of rest, to bring our families close. In this constellation I have also incorporated the Biboonkeoni, wintermaker. This constellation is made of a strong canoe man that has a long, outstretched arm, representing the arms that rule the winter sky. Beads and watch gears represent the stars that make up the constellation. I collected the watch parts 20 years ago when I traveled to New York with the Alberta College of Art and Design and stumbled across a watch repair business off Times Square. I bought the parts not knowing what I wanted to use them for until I started this work. The size of this moon is appropriate in that we had a smaller moon this month in 2021.
MNIDOONS GIIZIS - BLUE MOON – BIG SPIRIT MOON (DECEMBER)
Sometime in the month of December, the Big Spirit or Blue Moon, is a larger moon than all others. This being a time for reflection, I decided to “reflect” this as water, using a soft, rippled velvet. I then highlighted my own Anung miskwaadesi, star turtle. In the star turtle teaching, and thinking about this time of year, we explore a personal spiritual journey of purification, healing, and examining our own vision of truth. The creation of these works has been a personal journey. In this piece, I again used watch parts to reflect time and the relationship to the constellations. The ‘hole in the sky’, also known as Pielaidies, is the discovery of the Black Hole. It is believed that this is where the medicine people learn the medicines from the ancestors and where we came from… the origin of our people, known as Star People.