The Gathering Of The Circle Of All Nations
Sitting with Native American elders, in a circle with fifty people left me feeling high. It was such a powerful experience, merely to be in their presence.
We sat in the talking circle, while the leader of the First Nations, Grandfather William Commanda smoked the peace pipe and told us stories of his people. Commanda's energy was so clear and strong. His eyes were clear and bright, like deep pools of wisdom, and he spoke with the knowledge of generations.
I had travelled across most of North America to sit in the circle with Grandfather Commanda; to be present at the Gathering of the Circle of All Nations - a spiritual festival held by Grandfather Commanda every year on his reservation.
The event is very special; elders of tribes from all over the Americas, and all over the world come together to hold councils and share stories. Hundreds of people come to sit in their presence and listen to their wisdom.
William Commanda
Born in 1913, William Commanda, or Ojigkwanong, as he is known in his native Algonquin tongue, is recognised as the chief of the Native American tribes, and the keeper of several Algonquin Wampum Shell Belts. The Wampum Belts are sacred items, made generations ago, to record stories, histories of his people, and their prophecies.
A transformation came about in Commanda's life when he was diagnosed with numerous cancers in 1961. The doctors wanted to remove his colon and some of his lymph nodes, but he refused; they gave him two weeks to live. Commanda then quit drinking and returned home to be cared for by his wife, Mary, who was skilled in native herbal medicine. Two months later, Commanda returned to the hospital, but the doctors could find no evidence of cancer anywhere in his body.
During Commanda's illness, he had a vision of a circle, where all nations and all races could solve their problems by face-to-face communication in a talking circle. He then set about his work of creating the Circle of All Nations; reconciling the Algonquin tribe with the Iroquois, who had been fighting for generations.
Since then, many tribes have joined the circle, and Commanda has earned world-wide recognition for his work. Commanda was invited to provide a traditional blessing for the Canadian Human Rights Movement with the Dalai Lama in 1990, and in 1998 he presented Nelson Mandela with an eagle feather on behalf of the First Nations of Canada.
Though his sage advice is sought all by leaders all over the world, Commanda's passion is helping people learn to live in harmony with nature. He says that healing human relationships is the first step, and tolerance and forgiveness are essential. With forgiveness comes respect, and the result is unconditional love.
The Event
We arrived to William Commanda's reservation late at night, after driving across Ontario into Quebec. There were a lot of people milling around campfires, chatting over cups of tea. I put up a little tarp for my daughter and myself to sleep under and went to bed, exhausted from the long trip.
I woke at dawn, to the rhythmic beating of a drum in the stillness of the morning. I wrapped a shawl around my shoulders to fend off the early morning chill, and wandered towards the source of the sound. Down by the lake, shrouded in mist, a small crowd was forming around Grandfather Commanda as he beat gently on the drum.
I sat down, joining the circle, to listen to Commanda say the morning prayers, calling the spirits from all directions, and the spirits of the elements. One of the elders showed us a Wampum Belt, and told us the story of the Seven Fires Prophecy.
The Prophecy
The prophecy states that in the time of the Seventh Fire, New People will emerge, who will retrace their steps back to the Elders, who they will ask to guide them on their journey. But many of the Elders will have fallen asleep.
The Elders will awaken to this new time with nothing to offer, and some of the Elders will be silent because no one will ask anything of them. The New People will have to be careful in how they approach the Elders. The task of the New People will not be easy.
It is this time that the light skinned race will be given a choice between two roads. If the light skinned race makes the wrong choice of the roads, then the destruction which they brought with them will cause much suffering and death to all the Earth's people. If they choose the right road, then the Seventh Fire will light the Eighth and final Fire; an eternal fire of peace, love, brotherhood and sisterhood.
William Commanda said that he would know the new people because they would be of all races and all colours and they would come with a light in their eyes. When the Eighth Fire is lit, an era of spiritual illumination and brotherhood on Earth will begin.
The talking stick was passed around the circle, and many people shared their heartsongs, speaking words of wisdom and truth. When the talking stick came to me, my daughter, then only 15 months old, took the stick.
She held it for a moment with it's base firmly on the ground, then she lifted the sick high into the air, turned it three times, and then brought it back to the ground, saying "Aho!" in exact imitation of what Grandfather Commanda had done, over an hour before. In that moment, Grandfather Commanda was staring right at us, and his eyes locked on my daughter's for a moment, before she passed the stick to the next person.
After the morning ceremony, many people went to join the Elders in a traditional sweat lodge - a cleansing ceremony where participants enter a kind of sauna that symbolises the womb. Coming out, the people often experience a kind of spiritual rebirth.
Over the next two days, we sat in many circles, and listened to the words of many elders, and participated in many ceremonies. I felt so inspired and uplifted to have witnessed this amazing event, and to have been a part of it.