Centre Wellington hosted participants in All Nations Grand River Water Walk on Sept. 16 and 17.
The theme behind the walk was “Honouring our water and appreciating how important it is in our lives.”
Lorna Bevcar, of Melville United Church, explained the idea for the walk came from Mary Anne Caibaiosai, a resident of the Kitchener region and originally from the Anishinaabe community (the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island). Bevcar added part of the intent of the walk is to let people understand how important water is.
“We can’t live without water,” she said.
Following an Anishinaabe tradition of honouring water through ancient ceremonial practices, the southern journey started Sept. 15 (west side of the river, from the source to Lake Erie, heading south), starting as early as 4am.
The walkers started out from Dundalk to Grand Valley, and on Sept. 16, they arrived in Fergus. The journey will take them from Fergus to Conestogo, Blair, Paris, Ohsweken, Cayuga and Port Maitland – the Mouth of the River, by Sept. 22.
Part two (east side of the river, from Lake Erie to Luther Marsh, heading north) will begin Sept. 23 from Port Maitland to Cayuga.
The northern journey will take walkers from Cayuga to Onondaga, Paris, Cambridge, Bloomingdale, Belwood Lake Conservation Area and arrive at Luther Marsh Conservation Area on Sept. 29.
The walk is intended to honour the water and connect all peoples to creation, organizers state. It is also a walk in memory of the late Violet Caibaiosai, one of the original Water Walkers who passed away Aug. 13.
Among members of the All Nations Grand River Water Walkers were: Adam Doerwald (son of the Late Violet Caibaiosai), her four sisters: Ernestine, Shirley, Mary Anne and Loretta, and also Josephine Mandamin, who has been an original water walker with Violet.
Walkers carry the pail during the trek, starting as early as 4am and ending at 3pm, until they reach the end of the route on Sept. 29.
Melville United Church supplied a hot dinner to walkers in Fergus on Sept. 16.
The walkers were joined by members of Save Our Water, Rev. Marion Loree and volunteers from the church. All in all, there were a total of 29 attendees.
On the official website for the All Nations Grand River Water Walk, Caibaiosai writes that she felt compelled to follow in the footsteps of Anishnaabe Elder, and original water walker Josephine Mandamin, who has walked around all the Great Lakes since 2003. For more information visit the walkers website at grandriverwaterwalk2018.com
