SALT LAKE CITY — Monday was a celestial celebration for millions around the world who viewed the total solar eclipse, providing a unique opportunity to shine light on important cultural differences, beliefs and practices surrounding the eclipse. Western Culture typically celebrates eclipses, but the event holds a different meaning for many Indigenous Peoples.
The state of Utah experienced 50 to 60 percent totality early Monday afternoon. But over part of the Choctaw Nation in southeastern Oklahoma, totality was experienced.
Choctaw oral stories have it that mischievous hungry black squirrels saw the sun and began to nibble on it. As the squirrels ate away at the sun, it grew dark outside. The darkness was concerning for the Choctaws, and unrest grew because the sun is everything in our culture — the sun is the creator, and the sun is life. It keeps the crops growing and the water falling from the sky. In an effort to divert the squirrels from the sun, the Choctaw People found a creative solution to rid the sun of the black squirrels by throwing sticks and rocks and other objects up toward the sky.
This worked and the sun slowly came back to full brightness, leading to mass celebrations. Solar eclipses are now viewed as a celebratory time, and this tradition is still practiced by some in the Choctaw Nation.
The celebration of a solar eclipse isn't the same belief among all Indigenous Peoples. For some tribes, it's a time of change — a ceremonial time — a natural occurrence to respect and not be outside.
Monday's solar eclipse for the Navajo People was regarded as a time of reverence and respect as it is believed to contribute to an individual's spiritual balance during the significant celestial event. Given the sun's symbolic importance as a source of life, and the rebirth of the sun after the moon eclipses it, Monday's solar eclipse had a sacred significance in which pausing for reflection is practiced during the transition from death to birth of the sun. During this time, Navajo fasted and didn't partake in outdoor activities.
The differing beliefs surrounding the solar eclipse are all important, and it's vital that we continue to tell those stories and practice those traditions so those beliefs aren't lost to history. We can all reflect and agree on the importance of the sun and earth and cherish our connection to the sun.
