Sacred Belt Shows A Vision For Canada From Before There Was A Canada

I've mentioned Grandfather William Commanda in a post in the past. He was a great Algonquin chief from near where I grew up in Ottawa, and he passed away recently at the age of 97. I thought re-sharing this nice letter from his facebook page (see below photo) would be a nice way to celebrate Canada Day on No Sound Mind.

I realize now that the adolescent angst that fueled my creative development was often based on a similar feeling of frustration to the one Algonquin and all First Nations people have felt for over 300 years. North America doesn't have to be this way. Our politics can allow for more protection of the planet, and a higher level of social justice. Yet we continually squander the power to deeply improve our plight, and neglect to work towards emancipating the world. We so easily slip into a cycle of wallowing in a vapid world of consumerism and hype. 

Recognizing this cycle as a problem is the first step towards solving it. Deciding to choose a life of creativity, compassion, and innovation comes next. For me, that doesn't come easy, but I believe it's worth a shot. I still feel like if we don't get our act together that we'll be obliterated, so, yeah, I suppose I'm still kinda pissed off. But there's no point to living in anger, or self-pity, or shame. We've all got to keep our heads up high as we do whatever we've got to do to make it in this world. In the end, I suppose hard work and care are the only things that can save us.

William Commanda holding a sacred wampum belt created in 1700

article below re-posted from http://www.facebook.com/pages/William-Commanda

REMEMBERING GRANDFATHER WILLIAM COMMANDA ON CANADA DAY

Canada Day 2012 and it is the first one in almost a century that Grandfather William Commanda is not here. William Commanda was the most senior elder of the Algonquins of the Ottawa River Watershed, the Kichisippi: the Mighty River, that gave birth to the Canada we know – through the fur trades, the resources of its waters and land, the logging, the hydro power, mining, and the labour of the First Peoples. He died last August at the age of 97. 

For forty years, he was the Holder of the sacred Three Figure Welcoming Wampum Belt from 1700, the one he sometimes also described as the sharing belt. Created out of the purple and white shells of the quahog in the distant past, the ancient wampum belt relics of the First Peoples recorded history, agreements, served as mnemonic devices, and integrated sacred in the way of life. This belt was particularly important to him – it was created before there was a Canada, when his ancestors, realizing newcomers were arriving in their lands in increasing numbers, sick, bereft and fighting old battles, made their statement. The Indian in the centre drew the hands of the French and English together to entrench friendship, agreeing to share the vast land, the grand natural resources and their values in equal parts, and to forge a new and strong nation as envisioned by the prophecy of the Seven Fires. The fact that it was a sacred agreement was signified by the symbol of the Vatican on the side of the belt.

Of course, most of us know that this welcome was abused, and today, Indigenous Peoples are at the bottom of the proverbial totem pole, impacted by issues like the residential school abuses, health, poverty, education gaps, the housing and water and other environmental crises. As Grandfather once said, “Few will deny that we are the most disempowered and impoverished in the land of our ancestors, with our rights and heritage crushed, marginalized not just by governments and institutions but also by citizens who call this land home, and our history is little known to many of you.”

Grandfather Commanda, himself a brilliant historian, a well-read kindergarten dropout, a tireless student and an astute politician, knew full well the abuses and struggles his land and peoples had endured, and he too had his moments of bitterness and despair. But fifty years ago, a spiritual awakening during his struggle with cancer revived the priceless understanding of life of his forefathers – that we are all related, that we are inter-connected – with each other, and with all of nature. 

So he engaged in a multi-faceted effort to animate his values in his homeland, which, he often said, he had not given away. In this year that we acknowledge the War of 1812, I can’t help but remember Grandfather Commanda saying, we did not consent to the division of Turtle Island (North America). How did he animate that conviction? He served as spiritual guide for the 1995 Sunbow Five Walk for Mother Earth, a walk that raised awareness about environmental issues and First Peoples, and took their healing ceremonies from First Encounter Beach in Cape Cod to Santa Barbara, California. Native and non-native people from both Canada and the United States participated, and they keep the spirit of the walk alive today across the continent. In his passionate advocacy for environmental stewardship, he put responsibility for Mother Earth before right or division, and followed her pathways.

In affirmation of the commitment of his ancestors to welcome the new people, Grandfather Commanda animated his inclusive Circle of All Nations by welcoming all into his life, no matter how humble or high profile, whatever the racial, cultural or religious background, in a spirit of equality. His spirit of generosity was evident in the annual gathering he hosted in his home each August, the timing being a recall of the sophisticated astrological knowledge, including of meteor showers, that the ancient peoples acknowledged with ceremony along the Eastern seaboard; over the years, thousands of people from across the world participated in his gatherings, which were grounded in Indigenous wisdom, and focused on advancing respect for Mother Earth, social, justice, racial harmony and peace building.

In fact, the traditional values of the Aboriginal Peoples constitute the underlying safety net in Canada, evident in its celebration of diversity, emphasis on social welfare, health and justice, principles of equality, and protection of children – because all the peoples of the world came here to escape from lives of oppression and strife in their homelands. I recall sitting with Grandfather watching the news a few years ago; Chinese Canadians were celebrating fifty years of having the vote. I myself had left the oppression of the apartheid years of South Africa, and as an immigrant myself, grateful to be living in Canada, and, aware of the history of the Chinese in Canada, joined in their celebration; but sitting beside the Indigenous elder also made me question what it meant to be Canadian. Pursuing that question has enriched my personal and professional life immensely.

By the time of his death, William Commanda was holder of a Key to the City of Ottawa, the capital city, and Officer of the Order of Canada (he had been nominated for an Order of Canada, but was appointed at the higher level of Officer). These honours were a testament to the respect the country was beginning to acknowledge in his Indigenous heritage. He accepted these honours with grace and appreciation. But he never lost sight of his unique place here – he was at home. We others were not, at least not till we asked the Indigenous Peoples to make us their relatives; they were the ones to connect us with the land; they are her first children. Grandfather Commanda, as many knew him, ignited that prayer for GINAWAYDAGANUC – for that connection. He once said, I am in the wind, I am in the waters, and I am in the earth. He is indeed now in the earth we walk on, in this Canada. May we all walk on her with love, respect and responsibility.