Indigenous scholars reflect on 'sacredness' of water during virtual UWindsor symposium

Indigenous scholars spoke of the need for water to be better protected and appreciated in an online symposium about the natural resource Friday. 

During a three-hour virtual discussion, hosted by the University of Windsor's Indigenous Legal Orders Institute and Windsor Law, Indigenous community members shared their relationship with water and the ongoing fight to keep it clean. 

 In Anishnaabe tradition, women have held the primary caretaking role in looking after water and protecting it.

"From an Indigenous perspective, the water is living, water isn't simply life," said Tasha Beeds, an Indigenous scholar of nêhiyaw, Scottish-Métis, and Bajan ancestry from the Treaty 6 territories of Saskatchewan.

"She's a living entity, independent and worthy of respect and worthy of protection."

Beeds, a visiting scholar at the University of Windsor, also spoke about how she grew up living with family members who didn't have easy access to water. 

WATCH: Scholars speak about the meaning of water and impact of human neglect

Indigenous scholars speak about the importance of water

3 years ago

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Tasha Beeds, Indigenous visiting scholar at UWindsor, is the first speaker. Indigenous Knowledge Keeper and Trent University professor Elizabeth Osawamick is the second speaker.

As a result, she said she was always "conscious" — but at one point in her life, that perspective changed. 

"I quickly, moving into university and moving into this kind of capitalistic, colonial world, I kind of forgot about the need to protect the water and the need to preserve the water," she said. 

She said it wasn't until she later moved to Ontario and began to do water walks with others in the Indigenous community, like Elizabeth Osawamick, that she entered into a relationship with the water.  

Osawamick, who is an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper and professor of Indigenous studies at Trent University, said she has been "walking for water" for about 12 years. 

These water walks, called Nibi Emosaawdamajig (Those Who Walk for the Water), take place around the Kawartha region of Ontario. 

"Every day is Earth day, not only today," Osawamick said.

"We continue to work for the land, we continue to advocate for the water." 

In 2003, Anishnaabe elder Josephine Mandamin took her first ceremonial water walk around Lake Superior. In doing this, she wanted to share the message that the water is sick and people need to fight for that water, to speak for that water and to love that water.

Now, many continue that tradition today. 

'One day isn't enough' 

Both Beeds and Osawamick spoke about the need for people to critically think about how water issues impact Indigenous communities and how they are are often ignored by government and corporations. 

"People call it climate change, I call it the Earth's response and the water's response to the utter apathy of humans and the neglect of humans," said Beeds.

"If you've been abused and abused and abused, years and years and years, you are going to respond." 

Although not at the symposium, Anellah Orosz, 17, who is a member of Caldwell First Nation's Youth Advisory Committee, has been advocating to get Lake Erie person-hood status. This designation would give the body of water personal autonomy — which was part of the symposium's discussion Friday. 

"As an Indigenous person it's part of my inherent responsibilities to take care of the land and the water," she said, adding that she does worry about the future state of the environment. 

This Earth Day, Beeds said she was thinking about how "one day isn't enough" and how all of this will impact future generations. She said people need to start thinking about how they can shift their individual habits and advocate on a larger scale. 

"The earth is in such devastation, the waters are in such devastation, they need every day, every second, every movement. If we're looking ahead, we're at that critical point, so do what you can, learn as much as you can," she said. 

Osawamick said the more people stand together to protect the waterways, the better off they will be. 

"With all our thoughts and our prayers and our songs, the water can heal. The water can heal because it continues to flow and it will continue to flow," she said.