My grandmother sometimes held her first ceremony of the winter at this powerful time. Syilx (Washington State & British Columbia):В What I know is that it marks the point in time when our Winter Ceremonies can be held. For my folks itвЂ™s a sign that the frost giants will be returning to the North.ДЄssiniboine/Sioux (South Dakota): WaniyetuВ -time for gathering can'sa'saВ while the Thunder is gone. Passamaquoddy (New England): In traditional calendars in the Northeast, the solstice is always marked. My parents said that when you call haamaaha, people will arrive with piГ±on nuts gathered in the fall that are roasted and shared. ItвЂ™s also the time of haamaaha, storytelling of the coyote, stories of heroes, stories of the animals, sharing of knowledge. We mark the time with ceremonies not privy to the public. Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin: We have to wait for the Winter Moon, and there has to be snow on Mother Earth for those stories.Д«lackfoot (Calgary, Alberta): Blackfoots are the same with the snow and stories.ДЄcoma Pueblo (New Mexico): The winter solstice marks our New Year in Acoma. Soon he would start telling stories most of the night. Then my grandpa would put a bundle at his feet. We would eat dinner they would visit, smoke. My grandfather would ask a really older man to come visit. San Carlos Apache (Arizona): This reminds me when I was young. The storyteller will often take the tobacco outside and place it on the earth as an offering to the spirits of the story. To be respectful, a gift of tobacco is offered to the storyteller before the story begins. To have a storyteller tell you a story is like receiving a gift. To be respectful, people waited until the winter when animals hibernate or become less active so they cannot hear themselves being talked about. Another reason is that many traditional stories contain animal characters. It was in the winter, with the long dark evenings, the snow and wind blowing outside, that telling stories was a way to entertain and teach the children.

This was a practical choice given the fact that during the other season's, people were busy growing, gathering, and hunting food. Traditional storytelling is reserved for the winter months for many tribes. Like many events in American Indian culture there is a proper time and place for all activities.

Ojibwe (Minnesota Chippewa Tribe): This description ofВ winter in many Native communities was prepared by the Indian Land Tenure Foundation/ Lessons of Our LandВ as background for teachers: Their answers highlight winter as a time for storytelling. As we did before the solar eclipse in August, this December we asked our Native friends to share traditionsВ theyвЂ™ve heard about the winter solstice. North of the Arctic Circle, it will be the midpoint of the period of darkness, when even twilight doesnвЂ™t reach the horizon. In the Northern Hemisphere, December 21 will be the yearвЂ™s day of least sunlight, when the sun takes its lowest, shortest path across the sky. Indian Arts and Crafts Board Headquarters Collection, Department of the Interior, at the National Museum of the American Indian. Winter days are often mild and hiking can be enjoyable, but winter nights can be very cold (often near 0 F).'The Snow Snake Game,' by Ernest P. Spring and fall are ideal times to visit this park. During summer it is pleasant to explore here during the early morning and late evening hours. However, during winter months (Nov - Feb), the Visitor Center may be closed for short periods while the staff is away at lunch or on park business, and occasionally may be closed all day if no staff is available. The Visitor Center is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm.

From the Hwy 24 turnoff, follow the paved road for about 12 miles to park. Near the town of Hanksville, approximately 216 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.ДЇrom I-70, exit onto Highway 24 and drive south for approximately 24 miles to the signed park turnoff, which is also the turnoff for Temple Mountain. Annual Pass all out-of-state (including seniors): $150 Location

The land of always winter quest