About Our Logo

"I have heard the elders say that when the terms of the treaties were deliberated the smoke from the pipe carried that agreement to the Creator, binding it forever. An agreement can be written in stone, stone can be chipped away, but the smoke from the sacred pipe signified to the First Nations peoples that the treaties could not be undone."
Ernest Benedict, Mohawk Elder
Akwesasne, Ontario, June 1992

Traditionally, the pipe was smoked to bring a spiritual dimension to human affairs, to seal an agreement, to bind the smokers to a common task or to signal a willingness to discuss an issue. It is still being used today for the same reasons. This is why the pipe was chosen as the focal point of the Indian Claims Commission logo.

The wisps of smoke rising upward to the Creator lead to a tree-covered island representing Canada, where claims are being negotiated. The four eagle feathers, symbolizing the races of the earth, represent all parties involved in the claims process. Elements of water, land and sky etched in blue and green indicate a period of growth and healing.

Design by Kirk Brant.
Background David Beyer.