This presentation is by Nibi Ogichidaa Ikwe ~ Water Warrior Woman. She is a Tribal Member from Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and currently lives and works at Prairie Island Dakota Community with her family. She grew up living and learning everyday from the beautiful shores of Gichi~Gami ~ Lake Superior. She lives each day as a Water Protector in full gratitude and respect that Lake Superior raised her to be who she is today. Her deep connection to the water comes from oral history, Ancestral wisdom, and knowledge of understanding that Water is Life.
First and most important is to acknowledge that we are all water. Our first environment is water as we are born from the water in our mother’s womb. A wise woman taught her that the Water that we have here today is the same Water that was here with our Ancestors ~ thus Water is our Relative.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is the key wise solution to moving forward in a good way. It is our honorable duty to look out for the next seven generations ~ they are counting on us to do the right thing ~ right now. The decisions we make today have everlasting effects on all our future generations. Our future grandchildren, great grandchildren, and their grandchildren will likely feel the most long lasting effects. When we allow poisons and toxins to be dumped in the water we are actually poisoning the people and all living things for many years to come. Another wise woman taught her that “Whatever happens to the water happens to the People ~ remember that. Water is Life.”
There are many industrial and agricultural toxins and pollutants that pose a critical threat to Wildrice including the sulfates from high sulfide mines. These toxins can affect the growth of native plants jeopardizing the positive benefits of these resources.
Register for the meeting to receive the Zoom link at https://tamarackwateralliance.org/php/eventreg.php?eid=16 or Contact Us.