CENTRE WELLINGTON – A group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous walkers will journey along the Grand River from Sept. 15 to 20 during the All Nations Grand River Water Walk.
The walk is a ceremony intended to honour Nibi (water) and raise awareness about water issues.
On Sept. 15, the Water Walk began with a ceremony at Port Maitland.
The walkers were to fill a copper pail with water where the Grand River empties into Lake Erie. The walkers will acknowledge the water they carry through songs, prayers and positive thoughts.
The group will journey 270km along the west side of the river to empty the pail back to its source near Dundalk.
The route will pass through Elora on Sept. 18 and Fergus, Belwood and Grand Valley on Sept. 19.
Community residents along the route are encouraged to walk with them, learn about Indigenous ways of knowing, reflect on water concerns and formulate ideas for action.
The walkers will begin their journey before sunrise each morning and walk until they are ready to stop.
“You may see them as they pass through your community carrying a copper pail and eagle staff,” organizers state.
Passing traffic should slow down, pass carefully and stop at intersections to allow the walkers to proceed safely.
People wanting to join the walkers can find their live coordinates at grandriverwaterwalk.com.
“Community walkers are welcome to walk behind the core walkers – please review the Water Walk’s teachings and online protocols before arrival,” organizers state.
This ceremonial walk includes feeding the water with food bundles and offering tobacco, songs and prayers as a form of reciprocity.
Michael Clark, left, and Leanne Hennessy are two of the people walking along the Grand River last year to pray for the water. Advertiser file photo
These water walk practices were first developed by the late Josephine Mandamin, an Anishinaabe woman who walked around all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River from 2003 to 2017.
Her environmental activism left many ripples across Turtle Island and prompted other water walks to unfold.
Mandamin was featured in Canada Post’s 2024 Indigenous Leaders Series and commemorated on Indigenous Peoples Day.
The All Nations Grand River Water Walk is led by Mary Anne Caibaiosai, an Anishinaabe woman who was invited to walk with Mandamin and others in 2017.
Since then, Mary Anne has led a series of ceremonies and water walks for people from all Nations.
She feels that because everyone uses water, they should be responsible to help restore the waters.
Earlier this summer, she participated in a sacred Water Walk around Naadowewi Gichigami (Lake Huron) with Anishinaabe grandmothers. These women logged more than 2 million steps over 29 days in their effort to connect communities within the watershed.
Caibaiosai says, “We all need water, and she needs us. Without her, we would not be here.”
Caibaiosai and the other core walkers will share their knowledge and observations at special ceremonies held at dams along the river and during sharing circles at day’s end.
“Nga Zichiige Nibi Onji — I do it for the water,” organizers state. “Water has a spirit. Water is life. Without her, we would not exist.”
For more information, see grandriverwaterwalk.com.
