Reclaiming Anishinaabeg Moss Bags: Identifying the Connection Between Maternal Ecological Knowledge and Anishinaabeg Peatlands

26 Feb 2025

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Samantha Terry | Researcher

Sam Terry
s3terry@uwaterloo.ca

Moss bags represent a traditional maternal care practice in many Indigenous communities, including the Anishinaabeg. The practice promotes healthy development and allows babies to develop a sense of community. As a result of colonization, the connection between many Anishinaabeg and the tradition of moss bags was severed. This includes the use of sphagnum moss as a diapering material in moss bags, straining the relationship between the Anishinaabeg and our peatlands. To understand with connection, my undergraduate thesis will consider how the maternal ecological knowledge the Anishinaabeg have gained through moss bags connects them to our peatlands and why it is important to relearn this tradition. In addressing this, an Anishinaabeg Moss Bag Creation Workshop was held for Indigenous Peoples in the Waterloo area to have participants create their own moss bags and reflect on their experiences. Interviews were also conducted with Anishinaabeg Moss Bag Cultural Practitioners across Turtle Island to share their traditional teachings and how their work will continue maternal knowledge for future generations. This research aims to reawaken moss bags for the Anishinaabeg and learn how to reclaim the practice in a way that acknowledges the Anishinaabeg connection to our peatlands through maternal ecological knowledge.

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