A placenta burial ceremony is a way of connecting with Mother Earth.
Couple from Esgenoôpetitj hold ceremony for infant daughter
CBC News ·
Shelly-Ann Robichaud and Tyler Strang had a name-giving and placenta burial ceremony for their daughter, Sage-Maljewe’juit niss’g Gloqowej. (Ann Paul/CBC)
Placenta is the greatest gift you could give back to Mother Earth, according to Elder Jeannie Bartiboque of Esgenoôpetitj First Nation.
Bartiboque recently led a placenta burial ceremony for Shelly-Ann Robichaud, Tyler Strang and their nine-month old daughter, Sage. They buried the placenta with sacred medicine — cedar and natural tobacco — and planted a tree over it, a physical marker of their daughter's connection with Mother Earth.
"She will be drawn to this tree her whole life," said Ann Paul, who attended the event and sang a grandmother lullaby for the family.
WATCH | Family buries placenta with sacred medicine and tree:
Ann’s Eye: See a placenta burial ceremony
19 hours ago
Duration 2:45
Shelly-Ann Robichaud and Tyler Strang had a name-giving and placenta burial ceremony for their daughter, Sage-Maljewe’juit niss’g Gloqowej, led by Elder Jeannie Bartiboque of Esgenoôpetitj First Nation in New Brunswick.
Sage's spirit name was also revealed during the placenta ceremony. You're born with your spirit name, Ann said, but the ancestors reveal it to you — in this case, through Bartiboque. Sage also received her spiritual colours: yellow, purple and white.
Scroll through the photos and watch the video to see more of the ceremony for Sage-Maljewe'juit niss'g Gloqowej.
Elder Jeannie Bartiboque led the ceremony. (Ann Paul/CBC)
After smudging the placenta, everyone else in the circle was smudged, too. (Ann Paul/CBC)
The placenta is buried with sacred medicines, including cedar and natural tobacco. (Ann Paul/CBC)
It's not just family and friends who are part of the ceremony, Ann said; ancestors are also an important presence. 'They’re in support as well, so you invite them to join in the ceremony,' said Ann. 'We put a plate out for them during the feast after. They are the ones who sacrificed everything for us to be here and have all that knowledge to bring back.' (Ann Paul/CBC)
Several friends and family members joined the ceremony. 'These are the ones who are going to be supporting her through her life’s journey,' Ann said. 'Everybody had tobacco and was putting prayers in the ground before the placenta was put in.' (Ann Paul/CBC)
Sage's father and uncle buried the placenta with this tree. 'She’ll probably end up playing around this tree when she’s older,' Ann said. 'Her life is going to be in the roots of this plant. It’s going to be nourished by her.' (Ann Paul/CBC)
More placenta burial ceremonies are happening in New Brunswick's Indigenous communities, Ann said. 'All the hard work our elders are doing is starting to show. We’ve got a long way to go and meet more people and reach more people. It’s visible that the work being done is starting to show.' (Ann Paul/CBC)
Ann's Eye
Photographer Ann Paul brings an Indigenous lens to stories from First Nations communities across New Brunswick. Click here or on the image below to see more of her work.