Save the date for this chance to pray with your feet for the water. The All Nations Grand River Water Walk will be led by Mary Anne Caibaiosai. Mary Anne is Bear clan Anishnaabe kwe from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Manitoulin Island. Mary Anne says, “I am being led to follow in the footsteps of Josephine Mandamin, an Anishnaabe Elder, the original water walker who has walked all the Great Lakes; to walk along the waters of the Grand River.

This journey on both sides of the Grand River, is to honour the Grand River, to pray for her, sing for her, and carry her with a ceremonial pail. In our ancestors’ traditional belief and teachings, water is life; she has spirit and without her we would not be here. Our word for water is “Nibi” and we say “Nga Zichiige Nibi Onji ­ We do it for the water”.

“We are walking to help the water. We believe when we sing for her, offer her good words and prayers, that she will become clean. It is my vision that men and women of all ages and color will come to walk for her.”

The walk is intended to honour the water and connect all peoples to creation. It is also a walk in memory of the late Violet Caibaiosai, one of the original Water Walkers.

Visit www.grandriverwaterwalk2018.com. Join the mailing list to receive updates about the route and information about how to join the walk.

You can support the Water Walk by joining this Facebook group. This allows you to bid and to post items to auctioned.

Auction offerings include works of art, beautiful jewellery, services, and so much more.

It is super easy. Have a look! The auction closes on Sunday, August 19 at 7:00 p.m.

Article 25 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples calls on us to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples to renew their spiritual and material relationships with traditional lands, waterscapes, and territories. Supporting and joining in the All Nations Grand River Water Walk is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our commitment to work towards more respectful relations with Original Peoples and will help us to learn more about these traditional relationships so that we can honour Indigenous neighbours and Indigenous lands with greater understanding.

Parkminster United Church in Waterloo has organized a fundraising initiative support to core Indigenous walkers along their journey. They have created an opportunity for members of Parkminster and others to sponsor sections of the Grand River for $10/km.  The River is 280 km long, and our goal would be to sponsor the length of the river to raise some of the funds necessary to support the core Indigenous walkers who will need: food, clean water for drinking, gas, and accommodations. 

In addition to raising funds to support the walkers, our hope is that you will join the walk for several hours (or more) as the walk progresses through our region. This will give us a space to pause and reflect upon what we can do individually and collectively to ensure the health and well-being of our waters for generations to come.

All of the funds collected by Parkminster will be transferred to the Water Walk. Donors supporting the walk through Parkminster will be issued a tax receipt.

Click on the button below to sponsor the walk. On the donation page under FUND, please click on ‘Outreach’ (to apply your donation) and be sure to write ‘water walk’ in the comments section.