Algonquin Gathering at Sharbot Lake

Jul 21, 2011

Photo: Leaders and representatives of the 10 Ontario Algonquin Communities at the Gathering at Sharbot Lake

Chief Doreen Davis and members of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation hosted the 2011 Algonquins of Ontario Nation Gathering at Oso beach on July 15. The event attracted Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to sunny Oso beach for a day of Algonquin ceremonies, feasting and the sharing of traditional practices and teachings.

The event began late Friday evening with a moonrise ceremony at the sacred fire where 50 women gathered to drum, smudge and pray while sharing their stories amid tears and laughter.

It was followed in the early dawn with a sunrise ceremony at the beach where Algonquin leaders invited everyone to participate in a smudging and peace pipe ceremony - a celebration of the creator, the birth of a new day and the gift of life. The day’s events included copious amounts of traditional native food, the highlight being the evening banquet in the main tent, where participants and visitors alike were treated to a free feast of moose, venison and beef.

Photo left: birch bark canoe and basket makers Chuck and Janet Commanda

There was a plethora of Aboriginal art and craft vendors, and MC Danka Brewer introduced the line-up of musical guests, who included Brittany Wally, Pirates of the Rideau and Canadian country music star Shane Yellowbird, who rocked the beach with an early afternoon performance. The more formal aspects of the day included the Grand Entry led by flag-bearing chiefs and representatives of the 10 participating Ontario Algonquin communities into an expansive main tent that was pitched specially for the event behind the Medical Centre.

At 11:00AM, Chief Doreen Davis of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation who is also one of the 16 negotiators of the Algonquin Land Claim, led chiefs and representatives of the nine other participating Algonquin First Nations communities into a meeting. The other community representatives included Chief Randy Malcolm of the Snimikobi Ardoch First Nation, Lynn Cloutier of Ottawa, Ada Tinner of Bancroft, Irwin Sarrazin of Pikwakanagan, Chief Richard Zohr of the Bonnechere, Chief Patrick Glassford of the Algonquins of Greater Golden Lake, Chief Clifford Bastien Jr. of Mattawa/North Bay, as well as representatives from the Whitney and Antoine First Nations.

The meeting was to give an update regarding the Algonquin Land Claim by legal representative Alan Pratt, a lawyer who has been working on the Claim on behalf of the Ontario Algonquin First Nation since 1992. Pratt opened by saying, “This is a very challenging time, taking into account the force right now on the political scene. In the next two months we are hoping that the main elements of the negotiations will come together and that we can get some kind of commitment from the Ontario government before they get into the October elections.”

Pratt then outlined the goals of the Land Claim: “We are pushing very hard on the land, economic and governance fronts and pushing hard to get the main elements, if not resolved, at least to a commitment form in Ontario so that a new political party will feel they cannot back-track. We are also pushing beyond where they want to go and where they are mandated to go in the hopes of attracting attention to political leaders both federally and provincially and to make the case why they should go that extra mile to be fair and honourable to the Algonquin people.”

Following the meeting, Chief Doreen Davis talked about her hopes for the land claim

“This claim is about the rights that we had at contact, the title to our land and the fact that we never did get a land base, which is what we require. We have 10 communities here and only one reserve and it’s not a reserve we're after; that is simply not the answer. The fact is that at one point there were 9.8 million acres of Algonquin land on the Ontario side and we now have just one 1500-acre reserve, which just isn't cutting it. What we are looking for is stability and to have a land base that we can have and share and by having that to know that we have not lost mother earth under our feet and that we can continue to share and protect it as it should be.”

Davis said she continues to be optimistic about the land claim, which she has been part of since 1995.

“I have nine grandchildren that I definitely want to leave a legacy to so that they can be strong and continue to be strong for the next seven generations and on and on after.”

She said it has been a lot of work hosting the annual gathering, and “the highlights for me have been seeing the people, both the settlers and the Algonquin people together here enjoying themselves and witnessing the camaraderie that is being built here today. Its been amazing for example to have the ceremonies accompanied by settlers who are learning what and why we do the things we do and to see them learning and participating. That is incredibly rewarding. This sharing is something that happened here hundreds of years ago and it is still happening today and that is really what it is all about. When you really come down to it, the bottom line is that everyone really wants the same things.”

Sharbot Lake resident Karen Burke attended the sunrise ceremony and was very moved by it and the other events.

“It was amazing to see and you could really get the sense of how important and meaningful these ceremonies are. The entire day was beautifully done and I was very impressed and touched by how the hosts, organizers, and participants really reached out and embraced the entire community,” Burke said.

Chief Davis anticipates hosting the event again in Sharbot Lake in 2021 and said, “Hopefully by then … we will be implementing a new treaty that will see our culture and language back alive and well.”