The coastal Salish is the local natives peoples here in western Washington state. The Tulalip tribe has a very informative website including some educational materials here:
The 2021 calendar is fascinating in that it explains the calendar which is based on the moon and referred to as seasons. The seasons were originally not a set number of days, but a time of year usually revolving around weather conditions. As an area that is grey and cloudy much of the year the moon wasn’t always visible…
ƛ̕iq̓s - January is known as a period in the winter when your stomach sticks to your backbone.
səxʷpupuhigʷəd - February is known as a windy time with many hard winds.
waq̓waq̓us - March is known as the time when frogs sing.
slihibus - April is known as a time when you hear the voices of migrating cranes and swans.
pədč̓aʔəb - May is known as a time to dig roots.
pədstəgʷad - June is known as salmonberry season (lasts from early May to late June).
pədgʷədbixʷ - July is known as the native blackberry season (part of July).
pədt̕aqaʔ - August is known as the salal berry season.
pədkʷəxʷic - September is known as the time the Silver Salmon returns (the run, not the 30 days).
pədxʷit̕xʷit̕il - October is known as the time that many leaves fall.
pədƛ̕xʷayʔ - November is known as the time when the chum salmon return (near Thanksgiving).
səxʷšic̓əlwaʔs or pədšic̓əlwaʔs - December is known as the time to sheath the paddles.
sɬukʷaləb - The thirteenth moon according to Chief William Shelton was called the “Little moon.”
pədx̌ʷiwaac - The thirteenth moon according to Harriette Shelton was called the “Whistle of Robin. This moon was placed sometime in the middle of the year.”
I know of quiet a few tribal communities that do that. The Ojibwe also use a moon/weather system. As a kid I was taught to watch for weather patterns, and which patterns related to the changing season vs a high or low during it. Much of the rituals I practice surrounding the seasons aren’t dates on a calendar, or even solar dates, they’re based on cues from the weather.
This was part of my training about the region. The weather was incredibly important. That region of Lake Huron has a history of intense storms. (Side note: there’s some crazy stories from the British Fort in the region established during the war of 1812 because of the severe winter storms they weren’t prepared for)
The actual calendar links for past years are fun also. Thanks for the share.
Here is a page from the neighboring Puyallup tribal language program that explains a bit about how birds and elements are named, as well as a nice overview of the indigenous language regionally.
Thanks so much for the link. I also love the smell of yarrow. (Interestingly, my partner can hardly smell it at all.) The land we steward has yarrow as a key ground species, especially in the riparian areas. I’ve harvested some leaves planning to make some oil and then a salve. It’s been so fun to learn more, and she’s just so darn PRETTY. Swoon.