William Commanda OC (November 11, 1913 – August 3, 2011) (

Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...

name: ''Ojshigkwanàng'', normally written ''Ojigkwanong'', meaning "Morning Star") was an

elder, spiritual leader, and promoter of environmental stewardship. Commanda served as Band Chief of the Kitigàn-zìbì Anishinàbeg First Nation near

Maniwaki, Quebec Maniwaki is a town located north of Gatineau and north-west of Montreal, in the province of Quebec, Canada. The town is situated on the Gatineau River, at the crossroads of Route 105 and Route 107, not far south of Route 117 (Trans-Canada Highwa ...

, from 1951 to 1970. In his life, he worked as a guide, a trapper and woodsman, and was a skilled craftsman and artisan who excelled at constructing birch bark canoes. He was Keeper of several Algonquin

wampum Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western Nor ...

shell belts, which held records of

prophecies In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or prete ...

, history, treaties and agreements. In 2008, Commanda was appointed to the rank of officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

.William Commanda, Algonquin spiritual leader, dead at 97

Montreal Gazette The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...

, August 3, 2011

Early life

Commanda was born on November 11, 1913 in River Desert Indian Reserve (now Kitigàn-Zìbì) to Alonzo and Marie Commanda. His

name Ojigkwanong (meaning "Morning Star," or more literally "he expels a star") came about as his mother looked out the window of the family's log cabin and saw the morning star shining.https://ottawacitizen.com/Archival+story+Morning+Star+rise/5200089/story.html Commanda had several notable ancestors, including his grandfather Chief Louizon Commanda, and his great-grandfather Chief Pakinawatik, who in 1854 led his people from

Oka, Quebec Oka is a small village on the northern bank of the Ottawa River (''Rivière des Outaouais'' in French), northwest of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Located in the Laurentians valley on Lake of Two Mountains, where the Ottawa has its confluence with t ...

to Kitigàn-zìbì. Commanda was baptized in a Catholic church eight days after his birth. His youth was spent in severe poverty and difficulty on the reserve. On one occasion he resorted to hiding in the bush in order to avoid the

Canadian Indian residential school system In Canada, the Indian residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by Christian churches. The school s ...

. The Commandas' seven children frequently went hungry, and sources of income were infrequent. For work, William became a master birchbark canoe maker, and also worked in lumber camps. His health, weakened from his years living in poverty, finally began to improve in 1961.

Band chief and rise to prominence

From 1951 to 1970, Commanda served as Band Chief of the Kitigàn-zìbì Anishinàbeg First Nation. In 1970, his community presented him with three sacred wampum belts, precious historical records and artifacts. The three Wampum Belts that were under his care are: * the

Seven Fires Prophecy Seven fires prophecy is an Anishinaabe prophecy that marks phases, or epochs, in the life of the people on Turtle Island (North America), Turtle Island, the original name given by the indigenous peoples of the now North American continent. The seve ...

Belt (considered a founding document of the Algonquin Nation); * the

Jay Treaty The Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, Between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, commonly known as the Jay Treaty, and also as Jay's Treaty, was a 1794 treaty between the United States and Great Britain that averted ...

Border Crossing Belt; and * the Three Figure Welcoming/Agreement Wampum Belt. He built canoes at

Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...

, and in 1969 he founded and held the first Circle of All Nations, a gathering to restore aboriginal culture and spirituality. For this, he invited people to his home for a summit every August to promote good relations between nations, healing, peace, and the protection of Earth. This meeting continues to be held annually, and includes others interested in ecology.

Later years

Commanda, although he was married, he never had children, he was referred to with the respectful name "Grandfather." In his later years he was accorded numerous honours as he continued to act as a spiritual leader for his people and as a campaigner on behalf of peace, indigenous rights, and environmental consciousness. He received the key to the city of Ottawa along with an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Ottawa, and a lifetime achievement award from the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards Foundation. Commanda also participated in activities and ceremonies in the United Nations, organized international meetings of seniors and world leaders, and conducted peace pipe ceremonies for the Rio Earth Summit in 1991. In 1987 he was asked to build a canoe for Queen Margrethe of Denmark. Also in 1987, at the fourth

First Ministers' conference In Canada, a First Ministers' conference is a meeting of the provincial and territorial premiers and the Prime Minister. These events are held at the call of the prime minister. They are usually held in Ottawa. Though known as "First Minister ...

on inherent rights and self-government for Aboriginal people, Commanda began teaching about the messages of the wampum belts. He was invited in 1990 to provide a traditional blessing of the Canadian Human Rights Monument in Ottawa with the

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...

. In 1998, Commanda participated in a ceremony at which he presented Nelson Mandela with an eagle feather on behalf of the First Nations of Canada. That same year, Commanda organized Elders Without Borders, a gathering of Aboriginal Elders and spiritual leaders from both North and South America, and received

The Wolf Award The Wolf Award is an accolade conferred by a non-profit organization known as The Wolf Project to individuals, organizations, and communities in recognition of their efforts to reduce racial intolerance and to improve peace and understanding. The ...

for his efforts promoting intercultural understanding and racial harmony. In 2008, Commanda was made an Officer of the

. He continued to work until his final days for the preservation of sacred spaces, such as

Chaudière Falls , image = Ottawa Chaudiere Falls.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = Chaudière Falls in June 2006, at summer water levels , map_image = , map_size = , coordinates = , coords_ref = , location ...

Victoria Island Victoria Island ( ikt, Kitlineq, italic=yes) is a large island in the Arctic Archipelago that straddles the boundary between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the List of islands by area, eighth-largest island in the world, ...

in Ottawa, and South March Highlands in Kanata. He promoted returning the Chaudière Falls to its original state, freed from the concrete. He celebrated his 96th birthday with Prince Charles at Rideau Hall, opening the dinner with a First Nations prayer. Around 150 guests were present at the dinner, which was followed by a potluck at Commanda's home.

Death and legacy

Commanda had been suffering from kidney failure and was in the hospital over the months preceding his death. He died early on the morning of August 3, 2011 at his home on the Kitigàn-zìbì reserve. In the days after his death, many Native leaders and others praised Commanda's work and his legacy. They noted that he had been a strong advocate for the rights of his people, and First Nations and Indigenous peoples everywhere; had spent years advocating for the reconciliation with non-aboriginals; had become a role model, especially for troubled youth and people seeking guidance over the residential school experience; and had organized national and international gatherings of Elders and world leaders.

Assembly of First Nations The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is an assembly of Canadian First Nations (Indian bands) represented by their chiefs. Established in 1982 and modelled on the United Nations General Assembly, it emerged from the National Indian Brotherhood, ...

National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo said: "He was a truly unique and exceptional man who dedicated his life to building bridges between people of all nations and all generations. His wisdom, his dedication to his people and his example were an inspiration to leaders not only of my generation but across many generations of First Nations". And the Vice Grand Chief of the Algonquin Nation Tribal Council, Marlene Jerome, said: "A page of our history has closed with William Commanda, but Algonquin people will have an everlasting memory of a great man dedicated to defending his people and to the protection of the environment". In 2021, the former Prince of Wales train bridge, an interprovincial crossing between Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec, was renamed the Chief William Commanda Bridge as part of a project to rehabilitate the bridge as a recreation path. William Commanda has a building named after him at the University of Ottawa. The Institute of Canadian and Aboriginal Studies is called the William Commanda Building. William Commanda never had any children. Grandfather Commanda's wife Mary passed away in the late 1980s. The couple had no children together, but they did adopt Mary's niece, now 65-year-old Evelyn Derache-Commanda. He also adopted Mary's son, Sonny Smith-Commanda, who died in the 1990s, and his only surviving sibling is Mary Commandant (her name differs from his because a French priest incorrectly recorded it).https://www.ammsa.com/publications/windspeaker/william-commanda-footprints

References

External links

A Circle of All Nations: A Culture of PeaceOdyssey of the 8th Fire
— story of the 3,500 mile prayer walk Grandfather Commanda led in 1995–1996.

By Jennifer Clibbon, CBC News, Aug 3, 2011
National Film Board film on William Commanda
* *https://www.ammsa.com/publications/windspeaker/william-commanda-footprints *Profiles in Wisdom: Native Elders Speak About the Earth - Chapter 2 (Bear & Co. 1992; iUniverse 2000) ( https://chiron-communications.com/?s=profiles+in+wisdom {{DEFAULTSORT:Commanda, William 1913 births People from Outaouais Algonquin people First Nations artists Indigenous leaders in Quebec Officers of the Order of Canada Artists from Quebec 2011 deaths Indspire Awards