A precious resource – Students walk for water in Midland
Grandmother Josephine still inspiring
By Erin Archer AWARE News Network
Inspired by the late Grandmother Josephine, local Indigenous Student Advisor Aimee Grenier-Buchwald reached out to local schools “Want to do a Water Walk? Want to do a Water Walk? Want to do a Water Walk?” she asked dozens…
Mundys Bay Public School replied back “YES”!!!
On Friday May 24th, 10:30am schools started to trickle in to downtown Midland ON. Mundys Bay hosting 8 schools from as far as Barrie.
Water Walkers Beth Brass Elson and Tiffany Ishkodekwe Anne, thoughtfully laid out blankets by the waters edge adorning them with handcrafted staffs and copper vessels filled with blessed Site 41 water.
“We have some of the purest water in the world that flows in Springwater Township and beyond” says Grenier Buchwald. “This water has been blessed by the late Grandmother Josephine Madamin, It is sacred medicine. Water has memory and as we add it to the Bay and of Little Lake, it will pass the message of how water is to be. How to be Pristine once again. We are in a water crisis. We walk to raise awareness”.
After smudging, over 1,000 students, teachers, volunteers and community members embarked on an uphill walk that they will remember for a lifetime. Lead by 12 water and staff carriers, they walked with purpose to Little Lake Park.
On arrival, the staff carriers gathered at the water, 6 on each side with staffs raised as the women walked their vessels through to Beth and Aimee, in turn adding the water to that of the lake. A beautiful sunny day…surely Josephine was smiling down upon us.
“Before Grandmother Josephine passed on to the Spirit World, she was wondering who would carry on her work. I now know that it is our youth!!!” Brass Elson shouted with joy and 1,000 people cheered in response. It is our hopes they carry that joy forward, picking up the cause, inspired by the day and motivated by what simply is right.
S
ome of the water was reserved, to travel to Honduras with Vicki Monague.
CTV News Students walk for water
Thanks for sharing .Very inspirational.Will narrate this to my school children.
Fantastic to see the youth walking for water. Water unites us all. Water is precious. So happy to see this “wave” of Water Protectors growing, it fills my heart.
This is tremendous to see! The unifying effect that comes from the shared responsibility to respect and protect our water. Thank you, Grandmother Josephine, for your inspiration.
This is a really great initiative as we need to create more awareness for something like this. I think this is the best way to enable more people to know about its implications.