Shadowbox: Ken'niiohontésha -- Strawberries aka Heartberries

The strawberry or ken'niiohontésha in the Mohawk language. It's a woman's medicine with its leaves used for tea to help with blood illnesses, while its season is also the time babies are named in the longhouse.

Strawberries are sacred to the Haudenosaunee people, and are known as ken'niiohontésha in the Mohawk language. They are a symbol of life and health, and have a deep connection to the Haudenosaunee creation story. In the story, Skywoman brought strawberries with her when she fell from Sky World onto a turtle's back, and planted the seeds she carried. When she died, strawberries and medicines grew from the ground above her feet. 

Jihso:dahk - The leader of the plants

Strawberries are celebrated in mid-June with ceremonies at longhouses throughout the Haudenosaunee territory. These ceremonies honor the berries and the gifts the Creator continues to provide, and a significant part of the ceremony is sharing strawberry juice. The Oneida Nation also celebrates Twahyahnekílha, or Strawberry Thanksgiving, a day to make a strawberry medicine and give thanks to the Creator. 

Strawberries are also important to the Haudenosaunee in other ways:
*A woman's medicine: The leaves can be used to make tea for blood illnesses
*A time to name babies: Strawberry season is when babies are named in the longhouse
*A special fruit from the Creator: Strawberries are the first fruit to appear at the beginning of the new year
*Symbolic of Mother Earth: Strawberries represent Mother Earth as a reminder of the connection between Sacred Earth and Sacred Self 

The strawberry is one of the several festivals in Haudenosaunee's cycle of ceremonies to give thanks to the natural world.

According to Darryl Thompson, a cultural facilitator at Tsi Niionkwarihò:ten Tsitewaháhara'n Centre in Kahnawake, strawberries are symbolic of life and health with deep roots connected to the Haudenosaunee creation story. "It was always a special fruit from the Creator. The reason why it's special is because it's the first one that appears in the beginning of the new year," said Thompson. "The berries hang just above the ground, much like our newborns clinging to the mothers and a lot like spirit babies which shouldn't be touching their feet on the ground until later on."