Canada's First Nations

Generous-spirited and -minded - to their fault, alas.

We shook hands with our visitors, and inviting them into the lodge, passed round the calumet, according to the rules of Indian politeness. For a long time they sat round with legs crossed, smoking in perfect silence. At last, after some preliminary conversation, the chief, a fine-looking fellow, dressed in a spangled shirt, a cap covered with many-coloured ribbons, and an elaborately-worked medicine-bag, rose and made an oration in the Cree language. He delivered himself with much dignity, his gestures were graceful and easy, and his speech fluent. He said:

"I and my brothers have been much troubled by the reports we have heard from the Company's men, who tell us that numbers of white men will shortly visit this country; and that we must beware of them. Tell me why you come here. In your own land you are, I know, great chiefs. You have abundance of blankets, tea and salt, tobacco and rum. You have splendid guns, and powder and shot as much as you can desire. But there is one thing that you lack - you have no buffalo, and you come here to seek them. I am a great chief also. but the Great Spirit has not dealt with us alike. You he has endowed with various riches, while to me he has given the buffalo alone. Why should you visit this country to destroy the only good thing I possess, simply for your own pleasure? Since, however, I feel sure that you are great, generous, and good, I give you my permission to go where you will, and hunt as much as you desire, and when you enter my lodge you shall be welcome."

With this conclusion he sat down and resumed the pipe, awaiting our answer. He had put the case so truly and forcibly, that we really felt almost ashamed of ourselves, and should have found some difficulty in replying, had he not ended his speech so graciously. As it was, we merely thanked him for his courtesy, and made him and his companions what we considered a very handsome present of knives, ammunition, tea, salt, and tobacco. They did not seem satisfied, and wanted a gun, blankets, and above all, rum. These we refused, and at length they took their departure, apparently in good humour, although they intimated that they doubted whether we were such very great people after all, since we had no rum.

Excerpted from: The North-West Passage by Land; being a narrative of an expedition from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Viscount Milton and Walter Butler Cheadle. c.1865

Vancouver 1020 Winter Olympics:
The Olympic flame received a blessing Tuesday as it passed through the Mohawk community of Tyendinaga on its way from Kingston to Peterborough and, eventually Vancouver. As Quinte Mohawk Schools student Raven Tabobandung carried the torch to the front of the community centre and waited to pass it on to schoolmate Camelia Maracle. Elder and Second World War veteran Elwood Brant acknowledged the Creator. "The Haudenosaunee people have a long proud history of bringing people together in unity, a key message of the Olympic Games."

Chief Don Maracle was on hand for the ceremony, which included traditional dance, and explained how the symbolism of the Olympic flame was not unlike the role of fire in native culture.
"Fire is one of the elements of creation", he said. "It's necessary in our ancient past for our survival - it gave us heat and warmth, but it's also a light that perpetuates hope and peace and unity.
"In the ceremony today, we ask that the Creator's blessing be on all those participating in the Olympics, that it would kindle the spirit of unity and peace in the world and help unify the nations of the world."

The Ottawa Citizen, Wednesday, December 15, 2009.