MARILYN CORNWELL: Marilyn's Photos - May 24 2026

The traditional Japanese calendar of the microseasons seems elegant, poetic and eternal. It seems as though there is a unified view of the seasons. The microseasons calendar came from China in the 6th century when there were 3 to 5 million people in Japan.

Contrast that with our colonized North America. Going back to the 6th century in Canada, there were likely between 200,000 and 500,000 people in the geographical space of Canada, with many societies and communities.

To compile the equivalent of the Japanese microseasons would be a lengthy endeavour given the many Indigenous bands/groups. In Canada, there are currently 634 recognized First Nations governments/bands, alongside numerous Metis and Inuit communities.

We can follow the steps of Dave and Cathy in definingmomentscanada.ca who explain the topic of Mi'kmaw Moons - an equivalent approach to the Japanese microseasons. Their article is HERE. What makes their work so interesting is the incorporation of the Two-Eyed Seeing approach -

"The "eyes of each other" has significant meaning as it is based around "Two-Eyed Seeing" a method whereby traditional Indigenous knowledge and "western" science each guide the other towards a unified appreciation of the subject matter."

"In about seven years of working together, we have revitalized the use of the Mi’kmaw names of the Moons and how they are connected with the annual ecological cycle. We teach the Mi’kmaw language versions and how to pronounce them, plus we tell stories of our personal experiences around them. Above all, we show how individuals with quite different backgrounds can learn to see through the eyes of each other."

Above is a pictoral representation and below is the text of the Mi'kmaq view of the cycles.

"In a manner similar to several other traditional cultures, the Mi’kmaq divide the year into 12 intervals, each associated with ecological events around them, according to the gradual change of the seasons. Here are the 12:

Mi’kmaw	Pronunciation	English	Date Range (approximate)
Punamujuik’us	Boo-na-moo-jooey-goos	Tomcod Spawning /Frost Fish	5 January – 3 February
Apuknajit	Ah-boo-gah-na-jit	Snow Blinding	3 February – 5 March
Siwkewiku’s	See-uke-ay-we-goos	Spring / Maple Sugar	5 March – 4 April
Penatmuiku’s	Ben-a-dim-ooh-we-goos	Birds Laying Eggs	4 April – 5 May
Sqoljuiku’s	Skoalch-ooh-we-goos	Frogs Croaking	5 May – 5 June
Nipniku’s	Nib-nee-goos	Trees Fully Leafed	5 June – 6 July
Peskewiku’s	Bes-gay-we-goos	Birds Shedding Feathers	6 July – 7 August
Kisikewiku’s	Gis-ig-ay-we-goos	Berry Ripening	7 August –7 September
Wikumkewiku’s	We-goom -gay-we-goos	Mate Calling	7 September – 8 October
Wikewiku’s	Wig-gay-we-goos	Animal Fattening	8 October –7 November
Keptekewiku’s	Geb-deg-gay-we-goos	Rivers Starting to Freeze	7 November – 6 December
Kesikewiku’s / Kjiku’s	Ges-ig-gay-we-goos	Winter / Chief Moon	6 December – 5 January

"It is unlikely the Mi’kmaq counted days for these intervals. Instead, they probably marked the passage of time by observing the happenings in Nature, mindful of what happened before and what was expected to come. In any case, they would not have used the Gregorian calendar before the Europeans introduced it. The approximate date ranges shown derive from applying an astronomical eye to the sequence, making sure that the Chief Moon Time aligns with the Winter Solstice (more about that later). "

These seem like very different paths of knowledge. The Japanese have their enduringl microseasons. We, in Canada, are on a discovery path of bringing together different cultures to see an expanded view of things - a new way of seeing.

I observe on Sunnylea that the season of the Dandelion is completing. And we are in the Mi'kmaq season of Frogs Croaking, with the little tree frogs singing each day in the garden.