The Circle of All Nations Logo

This special logo, executed by Aboriginal artist Claude Latour in collaboration with William Commanda and Romola, incorporates many symbols of special significance to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples and to William Commanda himself.

The four colours of the Sacred Circle, at the simplest level, represent the four symbolic races of man, the yellow, black, red and white peoples; the four cardinal directions, East, South, West and North; and the four elements, Fire, Earth, Water and Air. The symbolism and teaching of the Sacred Circle are complex and deep.

The Turtle, here representing Turtle Island, North America, is described similarly in the mythology and legends of Aboriginal peoples of the West, the Hindus of the East, and the Zulus of the South, amongst others, as being the animal who sacrificed its life to create Earth in the expanse of Sea and Sky; it endures as a symbol of sacrifice, creativity and fertility. The Western story of the Tortoise and the Hare stresses the importance of perseverance in following one’s dreams and achieving one’s goals.

The Sacred Tree is a Spruce Tree photographed by William Commanda. Four separate trunks emerge from the one base of this 75 foot tree. The seven roots of this tree, which reaches into the Sky, grow through the Turtle into Mother Earth and the Sea, connecting all. It represents the Seven Fires Prophecy, and the Sacred Wampum Belt William Commanda has carried for the People for almost thirty years. (The Eastern Tree fell on 1 July 2001, underlining for us the urgency of the Prophecy.)

The other trees remind us of the importance of the trees to Mother Earth and to our lives. Now, as he watches with pain the endless passage of logging trucks through his family’s traditional lands, William Commanda says “It feels like a needle piercing my eye”.

The Mountains represent The Lake of Two Mountains, the traditional homeland of William Commanda’s ancestors. They also represent the climb up the Sacred Mountain in the search for wisdom.

The Morning Star is the symbol of enlightenment and vision, and because it shone so brightly when he was born, his mother named William Commanda “Ojigkwanong”.