08/04/2025
HONOURING ALGONQUIN ELDER WILLIAM COMMANDA
FOURTEEN YEARS ON
As many of you know, Ginawaydaganuc Village is dedicated to the spirit and memory of Algonquin Elder William Commanda and carries precious fragments of his unrealized vision for Asinabka, the sacred site at Chaudière Falls in Ottawa. Each of our five board members had a unique relationship with Grandfather William during his lifetime. Today we remember this beautiful soul and honour his passing.
Fourteen years ago, on August 3rd, 2011, we bid farewell to our dear Elder. The world knew him as a revered Algonquin spiritual leader, environmentalist, and bridge-builder, whose vision continues to ripple through the land, waters, around the globe and in the hearts of all who were touched by his wisdom. Today, we celebrate and reflect on the life and teachings of this remarkable human being, whose legacy resonates ever more deeply with the challenges of our present day.
Born in 1913 on the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Reserve near Maniwaki, Quebec, William Commanda belonged to a world shaped by the canoe routes, forests, and rivers of the Ottawa Valley and Western Quebec. Raised by his grandparents, who managed to hide him from the authorities to keep him out of residential school, he grew up immersed in the spiritual teachings, oral histories, and ecological knowledge of his ancestors. He worked as a guide, a trapper, woodsman, and was a skilled craftsman and artisan who excelled at constructing birch bark canoes. But like all his Indigenous relations, his early decades were shaped by the hardships forced upon Indigenous peoples in twentieth-century Canada. These experiences would later inform his advocacy and commitment to justice.
As band chief of Kitigan Zibi from 1951 to 1970, Grandfather led his community with dignity and strength during a period of great change. Yet, it was his role as a spiritual elder that reached far beyond the boundaries of his reserve. His gentle presence, open-heartedness, and unwavering dedication to peace drew people to him from all walks of life.
He became a respected spiritual leader not only among his own people, but also across Turtle Island and internationally. From the United Nations to circles of reconciliation and healing, his voice carried the traditions and teachings of the Omàmìwininì (Algonquin Peoples) into the heart of public discourse.
He was known for rising early each day to greet the sun, to offer Semah (To***co), and to pray for all living beings. He carried out sacred Pipe ceremonies, shared stories, and taught that every person, regardless of background, could contribute to the healing of the planet.
He listened deeply, saw the importance of every being in the web of life, and gave generously of his time and energy without seeking recognition or reward. He embraced and endorsed the idea of a circle of all nations living together as one. He recognized our intrinsic connection to each other (this is the meaning of ‘Ginawaydaganuc’) and the potential for peace and love in every heart. His work was rooted in the belief that healing the relationship between peoples begins with healing our connection to the land and to Spirit.
Through countless gatherings, both at his home and across Turtle Island, he fostered dialogue, ceremony, and teachings that transcended cultural and generational divides.
Over the course of his long life, William Commanda received numerous honours, including the Order of Canada, honorary doctorates, and international acknowledgements of his work for peace and environmental stewardship. Yet, he always insisted that his greatest reward was to see people come together, across cultures, ages, and beliefs, in the spirit of friendship and understanding.
Three ancient wampum belts of great significance: the Seven Fires Prophecy Belt, the Jay Treaty Border Crossing Belt, and the Three Figure Welcoming Belt, found their way into Grandfather’s safe keeping. These sacred items were not only tangible links to the collective memories and prophecies of Indigenous peoples, but also powerful symbols of unity, peace, and nation-to-nation relationships. Grandfather believed the wampum belts carried messages that were just as relevant today as when they were first crafted with such great care and prayer – messages of ecological balance, respect for Mother Earth, and the imperative for all nations, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to walk forward together in a spirit of reconciliation.
Fourteen years after his passing, Elder Commanda’s teachings resonate with renewed urgency. The calls for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada are more vigorous and necessary than ever. The environmental crises that he warned of, climate change, pollution, the degradation of the rivers and forests, are at the forefront of global concern.
Perhaps most significantly, his life reminds us that true leadership is not about authority, but about service. It is about listening, building bridges, and seeing the sacredness in all things.
To honour Elder William Commanda is not simply to look back, but to recommit ourselves to the work of reconciliation, healing, and stewardship that he championed. It is to remember that each of us carries a responsibility to the generations unborn, and that in the words of the Seven Fires Prophecy, the time will come “when the people will begin to seek new ways of living, to remember the wisdom of the Elders, and to restore balance to the Earth.”
Fourteen years on, William Commanda’s legacy endures in the hearts of all who walk gently on the land, seeking unity, justice, and peace, and to his life’s work and keen vision, we renew our commitment, “We will not rest until its done.”
This collage of photos was created by Karen Bisson (about a decade ago) as a heartfelt tribute to honour the life and passing of Elder William Commanda.
