Jessica Crabtree

Well, spring is now upon us – at least for those of us in most reaches of the Northern hemisphere. The days are noticeably longer and the first signs of green are appearing.

Peoples of every culture since time immemorial have appreciated and commemorated the surge of life and rebirth that the season brings.

This video is part of the Syracuse Post-Standard’s photo essay by John Berry, documenting how the Onondaga nation incorporates the new with the old throughout the cycle of seasons.

From collecting the first sweet sap and gathering freshly-sprouted herbs, to the age-old routine of planting and sowing, to tending the community buffalo farm – the Firekeepers of the Iroquois Confederacy use new ways to teach the old precepts to the younger generation.

Syracuse Post-Standard: People of the Hills – SPRING