FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Eighth Annual Anishnaabe-Kweg Water Journey on Friday, September 20, 2013
Relay Style Journey around Ramsey Lake to Raise Awareness of the sacredness of our water and the need to respect, protect our Water
In 2003, an Anishnaabe-Kwe (Aboriginal woman), Josephine Mandamin, who has been concerned about the state of water on Mother Earth, decided it was time to fulfill her traditional role as caretaker of the water. To do this, she felt the need to walk around Lake Superior with a pail of water to raise awareness about the importance of water.
She believed that by walking around the lake she was able to acknowledge her role as a woman and the Anishnaabek teachings. Many women today are conscious of the importance of their roles as life-givers, care-givers and decision-makers in their immediate families, extended families, communities and Nations. Moreover, they speak of the need to encourage women to actively support each other as Anishnaabe-Kweg (Goudreau, 2008).
Since 2003, Josephine Mandamin has walked around all five Great Lakes and has empowered other Anishnaabe-Kweg to acknowledge their role and cultural identity. In 2005, Ghislaine “G” Goudreau and the Waabishki Mkwaa Singers, an Aboriginal women’s hand drumming group from Sudbury, led several women and supporters around Ramsey Lake (local lake in Sudbury), relay style, with a copper pail of water as part of the 1st Anishnaabe-Kweg Water Journey. This event is a wonderful opportunity for Aboriginal women and communities and organization to support them in drawing attention to the importance of water for our survival. The journey continues today with added successes every year, including team captains, an increase in participation by youth and most notably male supporters.
This year the Anishnaabe-Kweg Water Journey is organized by Annette Cristo with the Indigenous Student Circle, First Nations, Community Organizations, Spiritual Advisors, students, staff and faculty. The community is coming together to participate in the water walk journey that will begin at 6 a.m. with a sunrise ceremony at the Tipi in Founder’s Square at Laurentian University. After the ceremony, Anishnaabe women, men, Elders, youth and children will walk around Ramsey Lake (approx. 20km). They will carry a copper pail of water around the lake to raise awareness of the sacredness of water and the importance of keeping the water clean. Upon completing their journey, the participants will gather to celebrate and sing the water song, followed by a Traditional Feast at Canisius Hall, at the University of Sudbury.
During the Water Journey, participants should walk behind the copper pail of Water and Eagle staff to show respect for those items. Women are strongly encouraged to wear long skirts or a wrap. For media interview or for more information, please contact Annette Cristo, Anishnaabe-Kweg Water Journey Coordinator at (705) 662-8500 or acristo@laurentian.ca
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The Sudbury working-group of The Media Co-op was formed to create independent media in the North, to speak to our issues and outlooks on our communities as well as the world around us. Independent media provides an avenue for people who are wishing to gain critical perspective on the issues that matter most to us, and to give a voice to those people and stories that you won't find in the mainstream media.
The Sudbury working-group site is no longer being updated and has been archived.