Theodore Fontaine: A Remarkable Elder – Circles for Reconciliation

Theodore Fontaine died on May 10, 2021. He was an Elder with wisdom, compassion, forgiveness, humility, fearlessness in telling the truth of the past, all coming from a deep sense of pride in who he was and his people. His book, “Broken Circle, The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools” is a remarkable memoir of his years in the Fort Alexander Indian Residential School, from 1948-1958 and the Assiniboia Indian Residential School from 1958-1960. For years, he supported survivors and spoke about reconciliation with those who were perpetrators of his abuse.
Theodore was also a friend and advisor to Circles for Reconciliation on several occasions. After speaking at the Sentient Bookstore where Joshua Wheelwright graciously hosted our circle, with co-facilitators Jessica Gonzalez and Clayton Sandy, he and his wife Morgan wrote:

We enjoyed this morning with Jessica and the circle. Josh was a generous and welcoming host and Jessica looked after us extremely well! The participants are wonderful individuals and were very responsive to Theodore’s talk. These are truly people who embody the true intent and spirit of reconciliation and have the will to make a difference. If we can support this initiative in future, we would be honoured to do so.

Read Theodore Fontaine’s posted obituary at this link.

The Winnipeg administrative offices of Circles for Reconciliation are on Treaty 1 territory – the traditional land of the Ininiw (Cree), Anishinábé (Ojibwé), Anisininew (Ojibwé Cree), Dakota and Dene people, as well as the Birthplace of the Métis Nation and the Heart of the Métis Homeland. Circles for Reconciliation is an Indigenous-led non-profit corporation, with at least 51 % of our Board of Directors being peoples of First Nation, Inuit, or Métis status. Circles for Reconciliation is a registered charity, registration no. 748256930 RR 0001.
Circles for Reconciliation is grateful for all who have joined the journey to reconciliation on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. We acknowledge that Tkaronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa Bands. As of October 31, 2023, we sadly had to lay off the Toronto Team due to severe lack of funding. Our Winnipeg team will continue to address the waiting registrants or hosts in this area.
Artwork by Eugene Demas. Eugene was well featured in Calgary's Bow Museum and known for his use of pencil crayons.

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It is truly the time for reconciliation.

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The Seven Sacred Teachings of the Anishinaabe

These teachings form part of our openings for all Circles.

Circles for Reconciliation Inc. recognizes that all First Nations, Métis and Inuit people have their own cultural teachings that encompass the morals and values of conduct.On page 30 of “Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future.”, it states that The Seven Sacred Teachings of the Anishinaabe—Respect, Courage, Love, Truth, Humility, Honesty, and Wisdom—served as the themes for the seven National Events, and ceremony and traditional observance played an important part in the National Events. It is recognized that there are many adaptions of the teachings. We encourage each circle to adapt the Seven Sacred Teachings of the Anishinaabe to the needs of their circle.

View all the guidelines that we use to ensure respectful and consistent gatherings.

LOVE: it is more important to care for one another
HONESTY: better to fail with honesty than succeed by fraud
RESPECT: give it, earn it, receive it
TRUTH: it is always easiest to speak the truth
HUMILITY: to be humble about your accomplishments is to be strong
COURAGE: let nothing stand in the way of doing the right thing
WISDOM: with hard work and dedication will come knowledge

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The Seven Sacred Teachings of the Anishinaabe

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