Sandrine Iceta
L'espace-temps subarctique : le vécu et le conçu montagnais
(Subarctic space-time: experienced and design of the montagnais)
Mémoire présenté a la Faculté des études supérieures de l'Université Laval pour l'obtention du grade de maître ès arts (MA.)
Département d'anthropologie Faculté des scences sociales, Université Laval
July 1997
https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca mq25611.pdf
Google and Free translation
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This memoir is an exploratory exercise on the the temporality and spatiality among the Montagnais of Schefferville (a group of autochtones living in subarctic latitudes in Northern Quebec, Canada above 55N).
It examines more particularly the use of the stars in the breakdown of the Montagnais annual cycle and shows how the observation of the celestial sphere is reflected in an appropriate cosmological framework.

In Chapter 4, Sandrine Iceta explains the relations that the Montagnais maintained with their environment extended to everything that surrounded them.
Therefore, in such a system, no element was neutral. All was dedicated to interpretation and had the value of prediction to ensure the sustainability of cosmic cycles.
The Montagnais mainly used the Moon to predict the weather. According to our informants, the waxing and waning phases of the Moon determine the temperature, the latter being milder in the ascending than the descending phases. Two of them also told us that a quarter moon which is held horizontally announces a great cold.
As the grandmother of one of our informants put it, the Montagnais were then constantly turning towards the Moon to know not only the temperature, but also to know if the hunt was going to be successful or not.

A star close to the first crescent (utenzu pishum), which means the dog of the Moon in montagnais, also had predictive value. When this star stood in front of the Moon, something was going to be asked to them.
Note: A Fixed Star in front of the Moon near the 1st Crescent has a meaning of the nature of that star from my understanding.
Conversely, when the star was behind the Moon, a person would visit them.
Note: Past the conjunction after the 1st Crescent.

When it was below the crescent, they would find food. When the star was above the Moon, a caribou was going to be killed. The position of this star in front the Moon could announce a colder weather.
Note: They also considered the Altitude of the Fixed Star or planet in relationship to the Moon.

In addition, one of our informants told us that when a group of small stars formed a grouping, the weather was going to be bad while when they were distant, the weather was going to be fine. When the stars had great clarity, it announced good weather.
Note: A stellium of Fixed Stars or planets was not a good omen and the visibility was also considered.

Other celestial phenomena were also used for prediction purposes. So was the case of a rainbow... the rainbow had the role of stopping the rain and when the rainbow rose high in the sky the temperature was going to be bad. Thus, surroundings of the rainbow (clouds, rain, morning, evening, etc.) were investigated for weather prediction.
If it rains in the evening and we see a rainbow the bad weather is not over.
If it rains in the morning and we see a rainbow accompanied by mist, there will be nice weather, whether the rainbow is single, double or triple.

Moreover, two types of fogs were also used to predict temperature. It was, on the one hand, the humid autumn fog, which precipitated winter, and, on the other hand, icy winter fog, which announced the departure of the winter cold and by itself, the return of spring... when the winter fog remained on the ground the temperature softened but if it rose, the cold was going to be even more intense. As long as it lasted, no one was going out and the children had to stay calm. Thus, children which symbolizes the reproduction of life could influence meteor phenomena through their behavior.

In addition, halos around the Moon predicted bad weather. Their function was then to stop the bad weather (nekashum) or to delay it. According to the distance of the halo around the Moon, the Montagnais could predict the number of days that remained before the bad weather. In addition, a white halo announced a colder temperature and a red halo indicated a milder temperature.

The trails, white, yellow or red that they saw around the rising Sun had a similar signification to the halos around the Moon and they also predicted bad weather for the next days, the yellow of untouched snow and the red of mild temperature. If the Sun was quickly catching up on the red trail, milder temperature otherwise it was bad weather and snow. The rising and setting of the Moon were also used to predict the temperature.

We also find a link between fire and bad omens, with regard to meteorites and which brought death or sudden illness if they were bright red: They also told us that an aurora borealis of bright red color heralded a great war. It was the same when the Moon was blood red in color, at its rising and its setting.

They had many rituals performed by shamans but also involving children who were chosen from the season they were born, mainly summer or winter.