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New Brunswick·Ann's Eye

Honouring Mother Earth through a placenta burial

A placenta burial ceremony is a way of connecting with Mother Earth.

Couple from Esgenoôpetitj hold ceremony for infant daughter

CBC News ·
A couple stands together outside on a summer day. The woman holds a baby.
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)

This is part of a series called Ann's Eye, featuring the work of Ann Paul, a Wolastoqey content creator. You can see more Ann's Eye pieces by clicking here.

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

23 days 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.

An older woman gestures while speaking to a younger woman holding a baby. They are outside in front of a lake.
Elder Jeannie Bartiboque led the ceremony. (Ann Paul/CBC)
A woman wearing a black shirt and long pink skirt blows smudge smoke into a young boy's face using feathers. The boy, wearing a blue shirt, cups the smoke into his face.
After smudging the placenta, everyone else in the circle was smudged, too. (Ann Paul/CBC)
A table is laden with various objects, including a white bucket filled with innards, a smudge bowl and a woven basket.
The placenta is buried with sacred medicines, including cedar and natural tobacco. (Ann Paul/CBC)
A young woman with long, brown hair holds up a smudge bowl and feathers to another older woman, who cups her hands to take in the smoke.
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)
Two women and a man sit in chairs outside in summer. The women are wearing long, colourful skirts. The man wears a black shirt and white shorts.
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)
Two men in shorts and t-shirts bend over a hole in the ground, their hands digging out the dirt. A young tree sticks up from the hole.
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)
A couple stands together, the woman holding a baby, in front of a young tree. Another woman, holding up a golden vase and woven basket, stands with them.
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. 

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