Sunrise ceremony marks National Aboriginal Day – CBC.ca

Sunrise ceremony marks National Aboriginal Day

Aboriginal sunrise ceremony is one of oldest traditions of First Nation culture

By Mark Quinlan, CBC News
Updated: Jun 21, 2012

Canada’s First Nations observe the start of National Aboriginal Day On June 21st with a sunrise ceremony, one of the most ancient and revered rituals practiced today.

It is a deeply spiritual and personal ceremony performed to mark and welcome the beginning of a new day, as well as express appreciation and thanks for life and nature.

Sunrise ceremonies often include participants expressing what they are grateful for and why, and smudging themselves and their ceremonial instruments with burnt herbs as a way to purify oneself of negativity.

The ceremony is of great importance to Aboriginals, but many Canadians are unaware of its true meaning. Elder Raymond Ballantyne of the Cree and his helper Madonna O’Nabigon spoke to CBC News about how they perform their own ceremony. Here are excerpts from the discussion:

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/06/15/f-sunrise-ceremony.html