Today, I am grateful for all that my Algonquin ancestors did, through the power of their ceremonies, to generate health and wellness for ‘All our Relations’, the trees, birds, animals, fish and all things present, allowing human brings to live well.
Because of the care, respect and honour the original people had for the land long ago, the winds were free of poisons, the waters were pristine, free of pollution. They had no worry of animals and birds becoming extinct. My spirit soars like a raven, knowing how the Algonquins loved the land as they loved themselves.
This blog speaks about the hatred, many Canadians have for the Indigenous Peoples of this land.
Hate! I wonder if it existed on this land before contact with Europeans occurred.
I know with full certainty that I have never ‘hated’ anyone in my life. To me, hate makes no sense. It is destructive. It is ugly and against the teachings of the human heart. There is no spiritual payoff to hate (yeah, only a negative one). I can say this, for those who believe in a place known as ‘Hell’, where bad people go: “Carrying hate in your heart for the less fortunate than yourself, will get you a one way ticket to a hot place by Lucifer’s side.” If you don’t believe me, check out your ‘holy book’. If it doesn’t tell you that hate is wrong and to oppress other human beings is truly sinful, then there is nothing ‘holy’ or useful about the scriptures in the book you believe is empowered to save your soul.
Hate mongers! Since the beginning of this country’s birth, there have been people who prefer to fill their hearts with ‘hate’ instead of bringing in the warmth kind deeds can carry into it. It seems to me that it fills the hate mongers’ poisoned little hearts with joy and gladness, when the human rights of impoverished minorities are crushed under the thumb of hate. What a spiritually pitiful lot, hate mongers are!
Lowell Green, Maxine Bernier, Ezra Levant are fine examples of what a hate monger is. Even on Orange Shirt Day, some of them rail against the Indigenous people of this resource-rich country as if it was Europeans who brought the tremendous wealth of this country with them when they immigrated here long ago or perhaps, not all that long ago. The truth! The early settlers were poor as the proverbial ‘church mouse’ when they landed on our shores. The newcomers didn’t bring any respect for the Indigenous Peoples of this land when they arrived here nor did they bring wealth with them. They came to this country to acquire wealth. And they did so, in spades!
In timber alone, trillions upon trillions of dollars were made by the lumber companies of today and by the ‘lumber barons’ of long ago times. Oak, basswood, black walnut, were shipped from here to the four corners of the world. If the Algonquins had received even a 25% cut (pardon the pun) of the monies made, we (Algonquins) would all be living in the finest mansions standing in Rockcliffe Park. In Algonquin territory we have gold mines, copper mines, silver mines, mica mines, iron ore, mighty rivers (hydro), real estate and awesome pasture and farmland. If the Algonquins had received their rightful share of the dollars made from these resources, we would be driving the most expensive cars and have butlers and maids tending to the chores in our mansions. Mean-spirited oppressors created the Indian Act and with it forced us onto reserves to get us out of the way, so the raping and pillaging of the resources on our land could begin in earnest.
Green and the others never mention the fact that Canada’s Parliament Buildings stand on stolen land. To this day, the land claim has yet to be settled. Algonquin lands have never been surrendered or sold, not to settlers, not to the AOO (Algonquins of Ontario), nor to any other First Nations! When will these narrow-minded, cold-hearted, spiritless hate mongers like Bernier, finally start showing some respect for the Indigenous Peoples, instead of promoting hatred against them?
As much as I dislike Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, I could never promote hatred against them (they’re pretty good at doing that themselves) or anyone else for that matter. I’m just not capable of it. There’s no doubt in my mind that this country has within its perimeters, the best of the best of all things of this planet. Goodness me, you would think that people who came here from all corners of this planet, would have at least a little bit of appreciation for the original people. It’s just the right thing and honourable thing to do, isn’t it?
Something hate mongers never think about is if the shoe had been on the other foot, in regards to Canada’s history and it was the Algonquins who were out-of-control aggressors who violated the human rights of ‘white’ people by creating and passing into law an ‘Act’, which took away your right to vote, your right to assemble, seized your children to force the Algonquin language on them in far away locations, outlawed your Christian spiritual beliefs and YOU were forced by law, to get my (Algonquin) permission before you could leave your home to work (the Indian Act Pass System) at a site away from the ‘reserve’ where Algonquins placed you. There is no doubt in my mind that you wouldn’t put up with it for very long before the guns would come out. A bloody uprising would occur in the hopes that an end to the oppressive misery you were living under, might occur. And if you were able to free yourself of oppression through violence and bloodshed, YOU would not be called ‘terrorist’ for your rebellion but praised and celebrated as ‘freedom fighter’. Not so if the Algonquins had fought with guns for their freedom. They would have been called ‘terrorists’.
What I describe is the Indian Act. It is what Ernest Dumont (my dad) and his father before him endured. They never entertained the thought (that I know of) of taking up arms in protest against the Indian Act.
It would not have been so with me. I would not have tolerated it as it was till the early 1950’s for my parents and theirs before them. Let us all condemn oppression and demand that hate mongers be silenced. The world would be a better place because of it.
Still it must be said that I have no hatred in my heart for the hate mongers like Green, Levant and Bernier. They will answer spiritually, for the attempt they make to bring oppression and ill feelings down on the Algonquin people, and I am at peace with that. Though the iron ball of oppression and the chain of hate, has weighted us down for close to 200 years, the strong will and proud spirit of the Algonquins has remained pure and unblemished.
I have no doubt in my mind that if not for the severe oppression experienced by the Indigenous Peoples because of the cruelty of the ‘Indian Act’, we (Algonquins) would have had access to the best schools, the best universities and colleges. We would have become the most fair, the most compassionate, the most wise of prime ministers, premiers, mayors and other political leaders. We would have become surgeons, airline pilots, authors, poets and so on. The Indian Act didn’t allow it to happen, yet we, Algonquins do not ‘hate’ Canadians for what Canada did to us in the way of oppression. And that’s because to us, ‘hate’ makes no sense!
Keep the Circle Strong,
South Wind (Albert Dumont)
