Ojibwe grandmother Josephine Mandamin, Wikwemikong First Nation, has walked more than 10,000 miles in five years, along the banks of the Great Lakes and other waterways. As founder of the Mother Earth Water Walk, she wants to connect people with their water and the diversity of nature and culture around it. She has visited countless schools and community groups to inspire others to protect their water resources. She has also gotten more than 100 First Nation communities to sign the First Nations Great Lakes Water Accord.
Mandamin has said. “As women, we are carriers of the water. We carry life for the people. So when we carry that water, we are telling people that we will go any lengths for the water. We’ll probably even give our lives for the water if we have to. We may at some point have to die for the water, and we don’t want that.”
At St. Elizabeth and St. Martin Schools in Thunder Bay, I met the next generation of Junior Water Walkers. These children are studying their local water resources and are making efforts to protect them. As soon as the snow melts, they will begin their walking field trips to learn about and take corrective actions to protect local water bodies. They are also planning outreach to nearby indigenous communities that have water security issues. They have pledged to learn more about the issues faced by their neighbors and will collaborate on solutions that ease water supply issues for these northern communities. It is inspiring to see the kids work hard on problem-solving, caring about serious issues and trying to make a difference.
Check out the Junior Water Walkers website!
