These Mi'kmaw girls aren't eating berries for a year as a part of a coming of age ceremony

Sis'moqon · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 30, 2025 6:46 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

On the evening of a caller satellite successful June, a radical of Mi'kmaw girls from Eel River Bar First Nation successful New Brunswick gathered successful beforehand of their assemblage to savour 1 last sensation of berries before beginning a year-long berry fast.

Surrounded by household and assemblage members, past week the radical of girls aged 9 to 13 marked the opening of a Mi'kmaw rites of transition ceremony. The teachings they person implicit the adjacent year, oregon 13 moons, volition usher them into womanhood.

Pyper-Jo Miller, 9, said the fast volition will assistance hole her for the changes that travel with increasing up. 

"Since we're increasing into women, we are going to beryllium changing a lot," said Miller.

"So we're [learning] to beryllium much independent."

So conscionable what does a berry fast entail? 

Throughout the twelvemonth the girls will abstain from eating berries and immoderate different activities to larn astir self-discipline, and volition besides larn accepted cognition from mentors connected womanhood.

Nala Labillois, 10, said her favourite portion of the time was receiving her tone name.

"Little Otter swimming with Grandmother Moon," Labillois said proudly. 

As they enjoyed their past sensation of berries, the girls were supported by recently established clan mothers, a relation for women successful the assemblage who person volunteered to locomotion alongside the girls passim the year.

During the ceremony, the clan mothers stood on either broadside of the girls, physically reaching retired successful a motion of support, symbolizing their committedness to usher the girls done their transition.

"It feels similar [the clan mothers] were giving maine emotion and I'm grateful they cheered maine on," said Labillois.

Elder Jean Bartibogue travelled from Esgenoôpetitj First Nation to stock the teachings with the community. She has led berry accelerated ceremonies for Wabanaki girls crossed Atlantic Canada and New England.

She said this enactment is astir grounding and guiding soon-to-be women in ceremonial and helping them link with their identity.

"It's precise important to amusement them that unconditional emotion astatine this clip due to the fact that they are going to beryllium the matriarchs of their community," said Bartibogue.

"If we don't recognize our ceremonies, we go confused, wondering wherever we are successful life, what's our intent successful life, 'Do I adjacent matter?'"

During the ceremony, the girls were talented with their archetypal bundle, ash baskets containing ceremonial items for usage connected each of the 13 afloat moons ahead. 

"They're astatine the level wherever they're successful their affectional signifier of their beingness and they tin person nonstop transportation to the ancestors successful the tone world," said Bartibogue.

She explained that to amended recognize their transportation to the tone world, connected the evening of full moons the girls are instructed to beryllium successful solitude, with nary tv oregon radio, for up to 4 hours.

Lynn Labillois invited Bartibogue to Eel River Bar, and was moved by however galore women from the assemblage stepped into a clan parent role.

"You could archer that these women would person wanted that for themselves arsenic well, if they lone had that opportunity," said Lynn Labillois, who besides stepped into the relation of clan mother.

"Our younker tin locomotion successful a amended mode and person that consciousness of individuality that truthful galore of america didn't person until aboriginal connected successful life."

She is hopeful that successful the aboriginal the assemblage volition travel unneurotic again to big rites of transition for young men becoming adults.