Algonquin Elder: ‘We didn’t give away anything, we shared’

When 95-year-old Chief William Commanda entered the room he got a standing ovation from the overflow crowd.
Algonquin Elder: ‘We didn’t give away anything, we shared’
3/4/2009
Updated:
3/5/2009
OTTAWA—The saying, ‘Good things come in small packages’ may be a cliché, but when 95-year-old Algonquin Elder William Commanda entered the room he got a standing ovation from the overflow crowd at Library and Archives Canada and he hadn’t said a word—yet.

The Algonquin chief is a man of small stature, but he held the crowd’s undivided attention as he spoke for close to 40 minutes without any notes—first in Algonquin, then English, and finally in French. He was there to give the opening remarks at the Indigenous People’s Solidarity Rally held Wednesday evening.

His message was the same in each language: squabbling over land claims does not make sense. To him, it is the Creator who owns everything and we are but caretakers.

“We don’t talk about money, we don’t talk about land claims ...I can’t do it because I do not own my mother, my mother owns me. We don’t have ownership of all of the things we live with. The Creator made us caretakers of all the things that he created. We were just doing that when we were first visited in 1492 and then again in 1594, by the French people.”

“We didn’t give away anything, we shared. They [European invaders] believe in ownership, which we don’t have—we don’t own our mother, she owns us. She is the one that provides for us, gave us everything that we need. Everything is free.”

Commanda explained that although he was an Algonquin chief for 20 years, he wasn’t paid to look after his people and he didn’t expect to be paid.

“We shouldn’t ask for anything in return for doing good for your people. I only want to speak the truth.

“We don’t say that this is mine. I really don’t own anything in the world. I don’t even own my life, my life is borrowed. The Creator owns all that we see today—he always does—including the country, the rivers, the trees, so we don’t talk about ownership.”

He returned to his seat as the audience clapped, cheered, and respectfully stood up.

A 90-minute documentary, The Invisible Nation, was presented, which showed how colonization and assimilation policies have left indigenous peoples displaced from their home lands, without traditional governance and with no decision making power over their own futures.

The film exposed a trail of broken promises and pointed out the lack of economic development or even basic support from the governments in Ontario and Quebec, where most of the Algonquin people live. For example, in more than one community, power from local generating stations was not made available to those living on nearby reservations. Also, the Algonquin were not allowed to own any roadways that went through their lands, which severely limited development or commerce of any kind.

The documentary highlighted numerous social problems such as high suicide rates, a lack of basic medical care, results of intermarriage within the community, and substance abuse found on reservations.

While holding an eagle feather, Claudette Commanda, grand daughter of the Elder Commanda, introduced people in the audience who were in the film and commended them for continuing the struggle to improve.

She went on to talk about how women will be the ones who will make improvements and bring the Algonquin people to the next level. She said the young people have no vision.

“They need the pipe and drum ceremonies, they need vision and hope, and they don’t know how to or where to look for it.”

As for how the film showed that the Oblate Fathers had mistreated and abused the many native children sent to schools far from their homes, Ms. Commanda said it was the policy of the Oblates to eradicate the Algonquin language, spiritual beliefs, and culture, and likened it to genocide or apartheid policies.

“Native people have lost their inherent spirituality,” she said, “We need to differentiate spirituality from religion. It is religion that got us into this mess.”

She went on to explain that materialism doesn’t translate into culture. “Indians have their language and traditional knowledge. If we are invisible we do not exist. If we don’t exist there is no Indian problem.”

Filmakers Richard Desjardin, a singer-songwriter, and Robert Mondaris, photographer, both from Montreal, were there to answer questions. “Most of what we have to say is in the film,” said Mondaris.

When asked why the film hadn’t presented anything about the future the Algonquin people see for their children, Desjardin explained that the documentary “didn’t touch on culture, spirituality, or dreams for their children.” He said that another film would likely be made as the “story” was not over.

Summing up her feelings about the situation for Algonquins and other indigenous peoples, Ms. Commanda said, “Intelligence and eloquence don’t make a leader. It comes from a heart of caring for the land.”