Students at the Queen Elizabeth School are taking a stand to raise awareness and funds for clean drinking water for Indigenous communities. After learning about Anishinaabe Indigenous rights advocate Autumn Peltier and her mission to secure safe drinking water on all Canadian reserves, the school’s Grade 2/3 class was inspired to take action. The class wanted to contribute to the efforts of educating others about the struggles families on reserves face with unsafe drinking water and the importance of clean water for all.
‘We have to fix it faster’: 28 First Nations communities still under boil water advisories
Wednesday marks World Water Day, a day raising awareness of the more than 2 billion people around the world living without access to safe water, including many First Nations communities in Canada. The federal government says 138 long-term drinking water advisories have been lifted since November 2015, although some short-term boil water advisories have also slipped into the long-term category during that timeframe.
Saskatchewan River Water Walk group hopes to raise awareness of need to protect water source
The Saskatchewan River Water Walk is continuing this week as the grassroots group heads across Saskatchewan and Alberta, raising awareness of the need for people to respect the water as a life source. The group were in the Delmas and Battlefords area recently, and will finish the walk east of Prince Albert, at the Saskatchewan River Forks. Organizer Tasha Beeds says the aim of the walk is to increase understanding of the value of the North Saskatchewan River in people’s lives, today and into the future. “It’s more about raising consciousness about the need to see that water as living, to see that all of life needs water,” she said.
Indigenous TikTok creator spreads awareness for Canada’s First Nation water crisis
After living on the Tyendinaga Mohawk reserve in southeastern Ontario for nine months, he wasn’t looking to use TikTok to copy the latest dance routines. He wanted to highlight some First Nations reserves where clean drinking water remains impossible to find. So last January, from his account called @slapppps, Mcguire showed black water spewing from the pipes of his home. The video went viral, racking up 2.5 million views.
Autumn Peltier – Water Warrior gains more recognition
Autumn Peltier of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory has been named to the national Clean50 list, which recognizes “outstanding contributions to clean capitalism.” The initiative was created in 2011 by the Delta Management Group, a staffing firm with a focus on ‘green’ initiatives such as cleantech, renewable energy and sustainability.
At the Water’s Edge: Water Walk for Junction Creek
Starting May 5th to 9th, Plains Cree Mide-Kwe Water Walker Tasha Beeds will conduct a Ceremonial Water Walk for Nibi Nikwejiwong (Junction Creek), in Sudbury Ontario. This will be done following all COVID guidelines. Tasha Beeds was mentored under Josephine-Ba Mandamin, a highly respected Anishinaabe Grandmother and Late Water Walker who walked around the Great Lakes to bring awareness to the problems of water pollution and environmental degradation.