Tom Dostou: The Seven Fires Prophecy

Directed and Produced by Gayil Nalls

"We can no longer be complacent to our eight to five jobs, or punch in the clock and expect the earth to heal itself—the time is too short." — Tom Dostou

In this short film and through his native oral tradition, Tom Dostou carries forward the teaching of the Seven Fires Prophecy for Elder William Commanda. He teaches us what the prophecies represent as their signs appear on Turtle Island (the Native American name for North America) and ultimately gives us hope that one day human beings of all colors and traditions can unite to reconcile our relationships with the environment.

Former Chief William Commanda, (1913-2011), an Algonquin elder and Keeper of the Wampum, from Maniwaki, Quebec, died at age 97. His Algonquin name was Ojigkwanong and he spent many of his years interrupting the teachings of seven prophets who spoke of seven fires. Each Prophecy or prediction is called a "fire". The Seven Fires Prophecy that came to the Anishinabe hundreds of years ago is symbolically represented on a very old Sacred Wampum Belt made by his ancestors.

Chief Commanda has said that "the Creator made the animals, fish, the water, the trees—everything that grows. The wampum belt is about respecting everything the Creator made." Commanda's message was one of reconciliation; that people must try to understand, respect and forgive. They must work together to face problems, and they must respect nature. In that spirit, he founded a peace organization called the Circle of Nations, which brought him into the company of Nelson Mandala and The Dali Lama. As he got up in years, there were several runners that helped carry his message out to the world. Tom Dostou was one of them.

Tom Dostou: The Seven Fires Prophecy
Time: 18:09

Director/Producer: Gayil Nalls
Camera/Sound: John Gebbie Jr., Steven Santos, Gayil Nalls
Technical Director: Koquin Fung
Editor: Tony Marino
Digital Restoration Editor: Angela Juarez
Music: Kenneth Cooper (Lummi), Traditional Chief William Commanda and Franc Decontia (Algonquin)
Copyright © 1995-2013, by Nalls Studio, All Rights Reserved

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