06/19/2026
This Sunday, June 21, is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the peak of summer's light.
For many Indigenous nations, the solstice marks a moment of seasonal significance. Specific traditions vary widely, but a common thread runs through them: gratitude for the abundance of the growing season and reverence for the relationship between people and the natural world.
In Cherokee tradition, this moment falls between the Planting Moon of spring (Anisguti) and the Green Corn Ceremony of late summer. It is the time when the fields are at their fullest, when the corn first tasseled under the Green Corn Moon is rising tall, when the work shifts to tending what is growing and preparing for the harvest ahead.
The Cherokee relationship with the earth at this season is one of gratitude for abundance and of careful attention to maintaining harmony with the natural world.
The light is at its fullest. The fields are giving.
What is your gratitude this season?