Shining Water Woman

Indigenous water walkers and Haudenosaunee Development Institute ask Hamilton to listen amid sewage spill

Indigenous water walkers and Haudenosaunee Development Institute ask Hamilton to listen amid sewage spill

When Kristen Villebrun heard the City of Hamilton recently discovered sewage has been flowing into the harbour for the past 26 years, she was upset. Villebrun said she and other Indigenous water walkers have complained about sewage in the water there for years. "I'm sick of talking and it falling on deaf ears,"said Villebrun, an Anishinaabe woman who is also known as Wassode nibi kwe (Shining Water Woman).

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.