The naming ceremony saw the name changed to ‘the Water Walker’ in Ojibwe to recognize water rights advocate Josephine Mandamin. The Anishinaabe grandmother, elder and founding member of the Water Protectors walked around the Great Lakes to bring awareness to water pollution. She walked 25,000 miles around the shorelines of all Great Lakes and other North American waterways while carrying a bucket of water to bring awareness to the need to protect the waters from pollution.
Broken Promises: Tsuut’ina Nation residents worry about water quality in wells
A plastic bottle crinkles in Deanna Starlight’s hand. She holds it up while standing in her home in Tsuut’ina Nation. “We normally have porridge every day,” she said. “One of these (bottles of water) takes a porridge.” Bottled water has become a life source for the family; they even use it to cook with. Starlight estimates they spend up to $800 a month on bottled water, either in big plastic jugs or little bottles like the one she has in her hand. “At one point there was 22 of us, you know, downstairs another family down there and here. A lot of water, a lot of water,” said Starlight, who is an elder in the community.