Neskantaga First Nation
Neskantaga Flag
“IF YOU DON’T TELL YOUR CHILDREN WHO AND WHAT THEY ARE, THEY WILL NEVER KNOW. HOW CAN THEY BE PROUD OF SOMETHING THEY DON’T KNOW?”
The people of Lansdowne House for so long have expressed the determination to unify the Community with the establishment of the Relocation Project and the process of relocating the Community together with the help of Sandy Sagutch, The Chief and Council present the Community Flag, the flag represents the Native Culture, the People of the Lands.
The Native Culture is not religion. It is a way of life that you must practice daily. It is not restricted. It offers freedom of choice. You are not forced into it, yet it is made available for anyone.
1. Represent the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall.
a) It also represents the 4 winds, or 4 directions; North, West, South, East.
2. The peace pipe teaches us the four laws the creator gave us.
a) Made of stone or rock, representing the mountains. The mountains teaches us something greater to ourselves, thus having faith, faith gives us power, power to help ourselves and power to help others.
b) Mad of wood, representing the trees. Trees teaches us to be honest. To be honest to ourselves.
c) Representing the glass or the tobacco we put in the peace pipe. Grass teaches us kindness, to be kind to ourselves, and to be kind to our fellow man.
– No matter what we do to the grass, we step on it, we walk and play on it, sleep on it and we burn it, it always grows back so too should be our kindess to ourselves and to others.
– Tobacco we put in the peace pipe expresses our kindess, thanks and offering tobacco is also a sacred plant.
d) Representing the animals, Animals teach us to have caring and sharing. Animals care for humans’ life by sharing themselves as food, clothing and other sources. So too should we care and share what we have to others and to ourselves. The sharing of the peace pipes represents all this.
3. The peace pipe also represents the sweet grass road. This road of happiness, success, and contentment.
a) This is the road of Despair, sadness, failure, discontentment and misery.
4. The four feathers.
a) Each feather represents the four cultures of life, (White, Black, Red, Yellow)
b) The feather is also the symbols of life. It has two sides so, too is our life. One side represent spiritually of the four laws. The other side represents the everyday life of shelter, clothing, work, and food.
c) The Eagle feather symbolizes our lifew, The Eagles watches over our land, our skies, and us.
5. The wolf howling at the moon.
a) The wolf howling at the moon is a remember that we must follow the four laws the Creator gave us. It reminds us to have faith, honesty, kindness, caring, and sharing.
6. Circles, long ago Indian did everything in a circle. They ate, prayed, danced, and met in a circle.
a) First circles represents us. We must start within’ ourselves.
b) Second circle represents our Family.
c) Third circle represents our community and thus expanding into the universe
Colours
White: Represents the day, snow, clean air and everything that is good.
Green: Represents the land, the Creator gave us to use and to live on it and off it.
Black: Represents the night, peace, and tranquility.
Gold: Represents the golden years we can and will have following our Native Culture.
Source: http://neskantaga.com/who-we-area/#mission
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