“Nga Zichiige Nibi Onji" — We Do it For The Water
Water is life. For the past seven years, the All Nations Grand River Water Walk has walked from the source of the Grand River to where it empties into Lake Erie. The walk is an Indigenous ceremony led by Mary Anne Caibaiosai. She says this about the walk:
“I am being led to walk along the Grand River, following in the footsteps of Josephine-Baa Mandamin, an Anishnaabe Elder — the original water walker. She honoured the water by walking around the Great Lakes. We will honour the Grand River by praying for, singing for, and carrying her in a ceremonial pail. We will follow our beliefs and teachings that water is life, water has spirit, and without her, we would not be here. Our word for water is “Nibi” and we say “Nga Zichiige Nibi Onji" — we do it for the water."
Last year our Grade 2 class followed the Water Walkers by reading their story, and marking a daily update on a map in the class because the walkers carry a GPS transmitter so people can follow the walk. Later in the year, Mary Anne visited our School and spoke in Chapel in April, sharing traditional teachings.
In the late spring, SJK was invited to participate in the 2024 All Nations Grand River Water Walk. Students from Grades 3, 9, 11 and 12 represented the School and on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 joined the walkers in this special week-long ceremony.
Students were moved by the experience; they commented that walking alongside Indigenous walkers by the Grand River led them to think about our relationship with Indigenous people, our relationship to the water and how we treat it, and the peacefulness and silence of the early morning walk behind the copper pail of water, and the migizi or eagle staff. As we often say, Reconciliation involves action, and to support this Indigenous initiative was a powerful moment for all.
The walkers told us that the students’ participation also lifted them up and gave them hope and courage in their walk. Our walk was peaceful, but we learned later that the walk had sometimes been difficult, and they had experienced racism and jeers from passing cars.
In the journey of Reconciliation that we are all on, we learned that walking with Indigenous siblings also means facing difficult realities in our communities, as we strive to embrace and work for acceptance and open-mindedness with humility and courage. We look forward to continuing our relationship and partnership with the All Nations Grand River Water Walk team, to learn and act for Reconciliation.
St. John's Kilmarnock School
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