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Ceremony str:~gthens co ____ eracy By Anna Jarvis Expositor Steff . Three nations of Indians MISSlSSA UG A - An historic . , • · . confede~ac:v. of three nations of. In- Jienew th·err· COIIll111tment To get to the powwow, the first one to be held at New Credit,1 take . Cockshutt Road to Sour Springs Road and continue to Onondaga Road. Turn right and the band's community complex is on the left. dians from across. North Amenca, weakened since contact with Euro- peans more than two centuries ago, was resurrected in a modest cere- mony Friday. 'l\e Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibway, including the Mississaugas of the New Credit Reserve, extends · from Wisconsin to Maoitoba and On- tario. The alliance has remained active, gathering for seasonal cere- . monies, but living its way -of nre js difficult under pressure to assimi- late. S& about 75 . Of lts peopl~. most from New Credit, renewed their , ·commitment to it by lighting three fires in Saddington Park• next to . Lake Ontario. It was an appropriate location - the site of a village ·· M Mississaugas before 1847 and part of land the band now claims. "This is a great park we have .here," Chief Fred King of New Credit joked. • The heart The fire is consi~ed the heart of the nation. The kindlings were arranged in a triangle representing · · t bodi minds and spirits of their people; and their past, present and future. · Water, the blood of the earth, was poured around the fires and a ring of cedar, a medicine, surround- ed them to protect them. . The first fire was lit aJnid a prayer thanking the Creator for life and asking for the -al,Uity to use what He taught them .to solve their problems and preserve- a future for their children. the flames from the . first fire were :used to start the others and when the prayer e~,.~ was sprinkled on the flames, its smoke believed to carry the people's thoughts to the Creator. The. confederacy's flag, a picture of thr~ fires on four stripes of <:olor representing the four races, was dis- played by two riative children. Principles Jim Dumont, · the Keeper of the . Drum, the heartbeat of the natia,i, at the Eastern Doorway of the con- federacy, near St. Charles, offer~ "'a spiritual message of understand- in · of ace, of how we can walk together on this eartb. If you can hear that message/' Mr. Dumont said, "we can be assured our child- , ren have a future." The confederacy must study the past, its traditional way of life, if it is to be able to revive itself in the The events will be on a bueball diamond in frent of the old council building and in a clearing behind the building. Dancing was scheduled for 1 p.m. today and continues this eve- ning and Sunday. present, he ~.id. late~. But that does The Mayor of Mississauga, Ha- not mean hvmg m tee~s and zel Mccallion attended the cerem tra~elling by _foo_t or canoe. It_means · ny wearing ~ bead necklace Chie takmg the prmc1ples of tha_t hfe and King gave her. bringing them into this life - living a good life, dealing with ·problems like alcohol. It's our ability to be a people again." "We are proud of our name We are proud of our relationship t you," the mayor told the people. "We should have a conscience about The Ojibway prophesied this res- how In,tian people, the original settl- urrection, Mr. Dumont said. NiitiVe ers of this land, are trea~." life would deteriorate, according &o ,...... ____ _ the prophesy, until it is on the verge of extinction. "At the last moment, when we are abo~t to lose everything, there is regeneration,\' Mr. Dumont said. The smouldering kindlings were placed in a large pot in the back .of ;i truck to be taken to New C~it. where they will burn during tile Three Fires Homecoming Powwow toda and Sunda .