You don’t need to know that Firefly fossils that are over 100 million years have been found to appreciates the magnificent stories of survival that these amazing little creatures have endured.
Despite the concern raised by changing populations from one year being higher while other years having lower populations, countless scholarly articles agree that they are just as brilliant as Onkwehonwe has described since they were first observed in our fires.
According to Kanatawakhon the words associated with firefly are Tewattsirokwas or Tekonttsirariks; however, Kanyenkahaka from different territories and even clan families described them differently according to their personal perspectives and the ever-evolving presentations of natural phenomena.
The idea being the autonomy of personal experience rather than an immovable idea. The diversity of experiences individual nations allowed an open exchange and appreciation of what separates us and brings us together.
Perhaps for some Onkwehonwe dancing flames were reminders of these flashes of light that visited during certain times of the year. While western science continues to reduce the beauty of these tiny fire dancers who pull the attention of children the world over by putting fire in their eyes.
Onkwehonwenaha can still see through those layers because of our matrilineal connections to the land.
