While Quebec is experiencing a spectacularly warm fall, many are rejoicing and taking advantage of it to fill up on outdoor activities. And, as with every period of autumnal thaw, it is often referred to as “Indian summer” or “Indian summer”. But where does this expression come from, and is it still appropriate?
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s online glossary explains that these terms date back more than 200 years and originated “at a time when Native Americans in North America relied on these warm days for harvesting “.
“Today, ‘Indian Summer’ refers to the sunny, dry and exceptionally hot days that occur in autumn and are usually preceded by a fall of snow, hard frost or a period of cool, windy weather. and tempestuous”, one can read there.
But that definition may soon be on the way out, as the federal agency is currently considering the future of its employment. Even if there is no official change yet, “several discussions have taken place and will take place on the use of this dated term which offends the sensitivity of many”, indicates spokesperson Sonia Noreau-Pérodeau.
In our communications, “we prefer the term ‘autumn thaw’ today”, specifies Jean-Philippe Bégin, meteorologist at Environment Canada.
At MétéoMédia, the expression “Indian summer” has not been used since 2021, says the head of the meteorology service, André Monette. “It’s a matter of sensitivity. There are other expressions to speak of thaws, of periods of heat. I know other media still use it; they do as they please. We, in any case, it’s an expression that we will no longer use on our platforms, ”he says.
An expression more folkloric than scientific
If scientists have long tried to stick criteria to the consecrated expression, the term is above all a matter of folklore.
“Historically, when we spoke of ‘Indian summer’, we were referring to a mild spell of a few days following the first frost, explains Mr. Monette. The problem is that the different regions of Quebec do not all have their first frost at the same time. We often found ourselves in the situation where all of Quebec had its “Indian summer” except Montreal, where it was still very hot. »
He and his colleague meteorologist from Environment Canada agree that these “scientific” criteria have never been official. “It was a bit of a catch-all expression to say that the temperature was above normal. So, we now prefer to speak of exceptional softness, ”sums up the MétéoMédia expert.
Meteorologically speaking, this extended warm period is caused by “a push of cold air in the west of the continent, which favors a push of warm air in the east in return. We are talking about overshooting large-scale air masses, explains Jean-Philippe Bégin, of Environment Canada. This phenomenon, which does not necessarily occur every year, was historically associated with the “Indian summer”. »
A matter of respect
The issue of sensitivity to Aboriginal communities seems to weigh in on the thinking about expression, both at Environment Canada and at MétéoMédia.
Abenaki content creator Xavier Watso also pointed out a few days ago on TikTok that he himself preferred the expression “autumn thaw”. “Native people are not Indians, that’s irrelevant. […] I know that there are those who will say that there are plenty of other problems in life: I agree. But we are also tackling these problems. »
Within the First Nations, however, not everyone shares this opinion. In November 2020, at the microphone of Patrick Masbourian, the Huron-Wendat ethnologist Isabelle Picard, first specialist in indigenous affairs at Radio-Canada, explained moreover that opinions on the question were divided.
“Indian summer” or climate change?
Regardless, the phrase sung by Joe Dassin will likely continue to be part of everyday language. “Personally, I still use it. It’s a common expression to talk about this phenomenon, ”says meteorologist Dominique Paquin, from the Ouranos consortium on regional climatology.
The specialist in climate analysis believes that the current mild spell is rather attributable to climate change. “The heat period we are going through this fall is too long. Warm weather is predicted again this week and next week. My intuition is that we cannot speak of “Indian summer”, which refers to a shorter period. »
One thing is clear: for the past two weeks, Quebec meteorologists have been recording temperatures well above normal. “It’s a general trend that is linked to the climate crisis. It will get hotter and hotter in the next few years,” she concludes.