The Northern Lights: A Message from the Ancestors

As winter nights draw in and silence envelops the earth, the sky sometimes lights up with dancing lights: the Northern Lights. For many Indigenous nations, this phenomenon is not just a spectacle of nature, but a message from the ancestors. Elders say that these lights are much more than just flashes of color… they are proof that spirits are always watching over us. Here is their story:

An ancestral legend

Long ago, long before the great cities rose and the sounds of the modern world drowned out the song of the wind, the winter sky would sometimes light up with mysterious lights. The colors danced, greens, pinks, and purples, like a silent fire igniting the night. It was such a grand sight that the people of the village would come out of their tents to look up at the stars and whisper prayers.

The discovery of Niska

One cold evening, a young girl named Niska sat by the frozen river. The silence of the forest surrounded her, so thick she could hear her own breathing. “What are those lights, Grandfather?” she had asked the day before.

His grandfather, a respected storyteller, had answered him with a smile: "The Northern Lights are much more than just a phenomenon of the sky. They are the play of the spirits. They are our ancestors dancing and playing with a ball of light to show us that they are watching over us."

Niska thought back to her grandfather's words as a green light gently rippled across the sky. She remembered his stories: when an aurora appears, the spirits of the ancestors celebrate life, the connection between worlds. They descend from the Great Sky to illuminate the earth and remind humans that they are never forgotten.

It was also said that if one listened carefully, one could hear the songs of the spirits carried on the wind. But be careful, the elders warned: one should not whistle or mock the northern lights, because this would disturb the playful spirits and could make them angry.

A message from heaven

That night, the lights seemed brighter than ever. They danced gracefully, as if responding to a secret melody. Niska closed her eyes and whispered a prayer: “Thank you, my ancestors, for your presence. Continue to guide us through the shadows and the cold winters.”

Passing on the story

As the years passed, Niska became a storyteller herself. Every winter, when the sky was ablaze with color, she would tell this legend to the children of the village. She would tell them: “When you see the Northern Lights, remember that they are the spirits watching over us. They dance to remind us that life is beautiful and that we are never alone, even in the darkest nights.”

An eternal legacy

So, for generations, the Northern Lights have continued to amaze those who observe them. Their light still dances across the sky, carrying with it the memories and teachings of the ancients. And if, on a winter night, you see these lights rippling across the sky, take a moment to thank them, for perhaps your ancestors are dancing for you.

Sources and references

• Hébert, M. (2020). Legends and stories of the First Nations . Hannenorak Publishing.
• Oral tales passed down by elders of the Cree and Algonquin nations.
• Dumont, R. (2018). The sacred knowledge of indigenous peoples . Montreal: Écosociété.