[Indigsol] Beaver Pond Forest - South March Highlands

[Indigenous Peoples' Solidarity Movement -Ottawa]

Year of the Forest
by Albert Dumont, Algonquin Elder, Kitigan Zibi

When blood passes through the heart of a human being, it leaves that
special place invigorated in its ability to produce love for God, the
family, the community and for the environment. Such is the sacredness of
the heart. Such is it to be a human being.


Do the people of this city care enough about the Beaver Pond Forest in
Kanata that they would pay the king’s ransom being demanded by the
developer to save it? Most citizens and their duly elected municipal
politicians have already pointed their collective thumbs downward.


Some twelve thousand years ago the South March Highlands where the Beaver
Pond Forest is found was an island surrounded by the waters of the ice age
created Champlain Sea. As the water receded, a rich and fertile land
renewed its relationship with the winds. The birds, insects, animals and
people living on the highlands at that time carried the seeds of trees and
also pollen of the island’s plant life further and further into their
ever-widening territory. The hungry soil graciously accepted the seeds and
hence pushed forward into a grateful world, trees of hardwood and
softwood.


It was the descendants of the island’s trees that the European settlers
saw when they arrived here a few hundred years ago. Ambitious men of
vision among them became lumber barons and as a direct result, Ottawa was
born.


If our wonderful city brings health and prosperity to you and your family
then you owe a depth of gratitude not only to the trees here but also to
the island of their origins, the Beaver Pond Forest.

If you wonder why you should care whether the forest lives or dies then
please, seek the counsel of your faith leader, whoever that might be.
There does not exist a holy book which does not direct her worshippers to
defend and love the land.


A candlelight vigil was held on the evening of January 1st, 2011 at the
Beaver Pond. Well over a hundred people gathered there in acknowledgment
of the United Nations proclaiming 2011 “The Year of the Forest”. While at
the site it was decided that a moment of silent prayer would be offered.
The youngest candle holder standing in the soft drizzle of rain and fog
was a tyke no more than 12 months old, the most senior person was a
beautiful elderly woman into her 80’s. With them, the people prayed in
silence for the forest to be saved. The forest, in silence too, absorbed
the prayers. And the prayers have become forevermore, until the forest
dies, part of her wealth in healing energy.


God lives in the forest. God does not live in your bank account. And one
day, all of us will know it, even the politicians and the developer.


~~

For more info on Beaver Pond Forest and South March Highlands:
http://www.southmarchhighlands.ca/
http://www.ottawasgreatforest.com/

A Message Regarding Development at South March Highlands from Grandfather
William Commanda, Algonquin Elder, Order of Canada: http://bit.ly/eVglTN


-- 
In Solidarity,
IPSMO
on unceded Algonquin Territory
--
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