Algonquin gathering brings unity

With the morning sky a collage of vibrant pink and peach Algonquin elders along with at least 60 others gathered atop the Eagles Nest on Saturday, July 27, to welcome the arrival of Grandfather Sun and begin a day of ceremony and celebration at the Algonquin Nation Gathering in Bancroft.

Out of earshot from the town, the drumming and singing could be heard while climbing the hill towards the sunrise ceremony. Upon arrival latecomers were invited to join the circle and take part in the tradition.Elder Andy Frosts opening words shed light upon the purpose of why people had been called upon to leave the comforts of their beds and gather before 6 a.m. that day.

It is not about politics today it is about unity, said Frost.Its about sharing our culture, sharing our sense of community, sharing our thoughts. Its all about sharing. Lets try and live by the four rules today of caring, sharing, love and respect. If we can carry these in our hearts we will have a great day.

After Frost had walked around the entire circle sharing thanks with each individual in attendance, participants were urged to leave the ceremonial circle in the traditional manner. This being to shake hands and offer thanks with everyone else there. Following the sunrise ceremony the gathering proceeded down the hill from the Eagles Nest to Millennium Park where Algonquin elders were preparing a complimentary breakfast for all those who shared in the mornings experience.

The gathering moved next to the North Hastings Community Centre where people were invited to take part in the celebrations and ceremony, and to browse through the village of traditional artisans and craftspeople displaying and demonstrating their crafts.

Chuck and Janet Commanda were two of the many traditional artisans and craftspeople displaying their crafts in the field at the gathering. Their birch bark creations were on display including handcrafted birch bark canoe. The boat building artisans demonstrated their craft while explaining in great detail how these naturally efficient modes of transport are harvested, built and paddled.Paddling one of these is like floating on a leaf, said Chuck.

I have had people try one out that have paddled all of their lives, and when they see how far they travel in one stroke they are in shock.In some of the other booths there was one-of-a-kind artwork for sale, clothing, handcrafted drums as well as jewelry made of deer and moose antler. There were also information tables set up both indoors and out to help educate people regarding Algonquin culture.

With many individuals dressed in traditional attire, elders side by side with youth and flag bearers from all factions in attendance, made their grand entrance into the sacred circle.Design and order your own custom rfidtag with personalized message and artwork. Entering from the east to the sound of drumming some chose to dance while others chose to sing as the master of ceremonies Mike Boldt announced the names of the flag bearers and the parties they were representing.

The heartbeat of the drum and the footsteps of the dancers persisted throughout the day sending out good vibrations through the ground and into the crowd. For some dancing is just a fun, and entertaining way to enjoy the music filling their ears. In Algonquin culture it is a sacred form of celebration where each step holds great meaning.

One of the dancers, Norman Coleman a member of the Matachewan band, believes that traditional dancing is an element of Algonquin culture that needs to be preserved.The younger generation has lost so much culture because many of them no longer follow their elders, said Coleman.The elders here are not going to be around forever. Hopefully the young ones will listen to their teachings, and carry the torch.

At age 61 Coleman has danced for most of his life, although he said that he did not start dancing traditionally until seven years ago. In his eyes gatherings like these are instrumental in bringing people from all nations together.You must not use the stonecarving without being trained.Lefse is a flatbread rather like a soft tortilla that originated in Norway and is usually made of some combination of flour, cream and potatoes.

Leiann Ronnestad, president of the Sons of Norway, Cascade Lodge, coordinated the event with help from the Barneleikarringen Cultural Foundation in hopes of uniting the Eastsides Scandinavian community.Other craftwork included traditional dancer crowns of Danish, Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian origins. At another booth, Christmas ornaments woven out of wheat strands reflected the frugal approach Scandinavians had for their materials.

Scandinavians hung onto everything. Wherever they grew grains, they could weave, said Jean Whipple, of Woven Traditions. They didnt throw anything out.Inside the Issaquah Valley Senior Center, more Sons of Norway volunteers, including the Skogsblomman Lodge, stayed busy preparing more lefse. In addition to the flatbread, a lunch of split pea soup and Scandinavian sandwiches open-faced and buttered were being served.More than 80 standard commercial and granitetiles exist to quickly and efficiently clean pans.

Common lefse is served plain or rolled with butter, though a sweet version can be made by adding cinnamon-sugar, jam or brown sugar. Another popular sweet treat is krumkake, a Norwegian waffle-esque cookie.Krumkake is very similar to a pizzelle, said Carol Hansen, Sons of Norway volunteer. They are a little thicker, but compare almost the same in the recipe.

The highlight of the Lefse Festival was decorating the maypole. After several traditional outdoor dances, children let loose to decorate an ivy-covered maypole cross. The field then opened up to welcome people of all ages to join in the traditional maypole folk dance. The kids dancing were part of a group called Risadala.The groups name comes from the words risa and dala, translating to horse dance, from the Swedish symbol of the Dalecarlian horse,We Engrave luggagetag for YOU. Ronnestad said.

The festival continued into the afternoon with a raffle drawing for homemade kransekake, a Danish and Norwegian style of cake, often made for special occasions.A glassbottles is a machine used primarily for the folding of paper. It is a wheat cake combined with ground almonds and sprinkled with a glaze.
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