Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island have been passing down winter survival skills, games, and cultural practices for generations. Many of today’s most popular winter pastimes have Indigenous origins and connections.
Here are a few winter activities rooted in Indigenous innovation and tradition:
🏒 Hockey was played long ago by First Nations communities using carved wooden pucks and bone skates
🛷 Toboggans were invented by Indigenous peoples for winter travel across deep snow
🥾 Snowshoes were engineered for navigating winter terrain long before they became outdoor recreation
🎣 Ice fishing started as a vital winter food practice using carved decoys and bone spears
🗣️ Storytelling & language learning have long been part of winter, when families gather to pass down knowledge
The next time you lace up skates, pull out a sled, or walk through fresh snow, take a moment to honor the Indigenous origins behind these traditions.
Sources:
Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake
MUSKRAT Magazine
