WALKERS WILL WALK ENTIRE LENGTH OF WISCONSIN RIVER IN SUPPORT OF CLEAN WATER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MORE INFO:
SHARON DAY,  smarieday@aol.com, 651-325-8077
EMILY JARRETT HUGHES, nibiwalk@gmail.com, 612-314-5413

(Minneapolis, MN, July 13, 2018) Indigenous-led Wisconsin River Nibi (Water) Walk will begin August 4, 2018. The walk begins at the headwater of the river near Lac Vieux Desert near the Wisconsin/Michigan border. Over an estimated 14 days walkers will carry a ceremonial copper vessel of water 379 miles to the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers in Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin river was one of the main water routes for tribes. It begins near Watersmeet on the Lac Vieux Desert reservation. One trail went to Lake Michigan, one to Lake Superior and the trail along the Wisconsin River meets the Mississippi. Walkers will be following the southern trail route along the Wisconsin River following the path of the ancestors.

Despite growing environmental awareness the challenges facing our fresh water continue to mount. Ongoing activism is crucial however we must also embark on a spiritual journey – one that will lead us to honor the water and embrace that all things are connected: that together with our lakes, streams and rivers, we will thrive or perish.

Water is life: the Nibi Walkers invite all to journey with them.

Nibi means water in the Anishinaabe language. In Anishinaabe teachings it was promised that the water would always flow down to us as long as we remembered to sing and make offerings to the water.

The Nibi Walkers believe these songs and offerings are crucial now, when the health of our freshwater is at great risk. They invite people from all walks of life to join them – in person or in spirit – on this sacred mission.

Throughout their walk participants will pray and sing, sun-up to sun-down, to heal and honor the River. Though steeped in Anishinaabe ritual and beliefs, people of all faiths are welcome to walk for an hour, a day, or more.

“We want the Walk to be a prayer,” says Sharon Day, the leader of the Wisconsin River walk. “Every step we take we will be praying for and thinking of the water.  The water has given us life and now we will support the water.”

To learn more about the Wisconsin River Nibi Walk visit  www.nibiwalk.org. Nibi Walks is supported by the Indigenous Peoples Task Force and by generous donations. Anishinaabe elder Sharon Day, Executive Director of the Indigenous People’s Task Force, will lead the Wisconsin River Nibi Walk. She is available for interviews. Please contact her directly at the number listed above.

# # #

Photo of Sharon Day with Eagle Staff by Camille J. Gage; high resolution file available on request.

An Experiential Introduction to Water Walking

Sunday July 22, 2018 9 -11 a.m.

Come learn about water walks and the many ways you can support them. Water walks honor the rivers and all water and speak to the water spirits so that there will be healthy rivers, lakes and oceans for our ancestors in the generations to come.

We will begin near the boat launch at the North Gate to Hidden Falls Park in Saint Paul. Sharon Day will share a history of the water walks. Everyone is invited to participate in a water ceremony in which each person will collect water and carry it to the picnic grounds at the South entrance to the park (roughly one mile). We will then have a ceremony to return the water to the river. This experience will give you a taste of what happens on a water walk. Find out how you can support the upcoming Wisconsin River Water Walk beginning August 4.

Please bring your own vessel for carrying river water. Because we will be in ceremony women are asked to wear long skirts. Learn more about water walk protocols. Rides back to the North Gate are available for those who need them.

Please consider making a donation in support of the upcoming walk at Give MN: https://givemn.org/fundraiser/nibi-walk58d9325c6c7e3

Chi Migwetch!

Chippewa River Waterwalk

April 20-25

Walk begins on April 20 at New Post, Wisconsin at the convergence of the East and West Chippewa Rivers and ends at Wabasha, Minnesota. This walk is in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire to commemorate Aldo Leopold’s work.

0-Screen_Shot_2014-12-11_at_2.21.38_PM

Upcoming Water Walks

View current GPS location of walkers here.

Gulf to Mississippi Headwaters Nibi Walk – 2027

Spring or Fall 2027 (approx. 50 days)

We will try an experiment. There are things we know to be true but westerners need data. We will bring the water that is depleted of oxygen back from the gulf to the headwaters. We will test it when we pick it up and when we get to the headwaters to measure any change. Maryanna Harstad, my dear friend, said “That is your colonized mind thinking.” I said, “I know it will, but westerners need data.”

We are postponing the Mississippi Water Walk due to Sharon’s health complications until early next spring or the same time next year.

Press Release: May 2014

MEDIA ALERT/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MORE INFO:
SHARON DAY,  smarieday@aol.com, 651-325-8077
CAMILLE GAGE,  nibiwalk@gmail.com, 651-398-6028

 

SINGING TO THE SPIRIT OF THE RIVER

Indigenous-led 981 Mile Ohio River Nibi (Water) Walk began Earth Day

The rivers are the arteries of the earth and they are in peril, with the Ohio River bearing the dubious distinction of being the most polluted waterway in North America.*  Once beautiful and free flowing, the Ohio is now misshapen by 20 dams and made toxic from coal mining, agricultural runoff, chemical spills, and fracking waste. The recent coal slurry spills and the chemical spills at Elk River, which feeds into the Ohio, are merely the latest chapter in the ongoing plight of the River and the people who live near her shores.

Despite growing environmental awareness the challenges facing the Ohio and all of our fresh water continue to mount. Ongoing activism is crucial however we must also embark on a spiritual journey – one that will lead us to honor the water and embrace that all things are connected: that together with our lakes, streams and rivers, we will thrive or perish. 

Water is life: the Nibi Walkers invite all to journey with them. 

Nibi means water in the Anishinaabe language. In Anishinaabe teachings it was promised that the water would always flow down to us as long as we remembered to sing and make offerings to the water.

The Nibi Walkers believe these songs and offerings are crucial now, when the health of our freshwater is at great risk. They invite people from all walks of life to join them – in person or in spirit – on this sacred mission.

On Earth Day – April 22 – the Nibi Walkers began a 35 day, 981-mile, walk down the Ohio River. They are carrying a ceremonial copper vessel of water from the confluence of the Ohio River at Point State Park in Pittsburgh, PA to Cairo, IL, where the Ohio joins the Mississippi River. They will walk, pray, and sing daily, sun-up to sun-down, to heal and honor the River. Though steeped in Anishinaabe ritual and beliefs, people of all faiths are welcome to walk for an hour, a day, or more.

“We want the Walk to be a prayer,” says Sharon Day, the leader of the Ohio River walk. “Every step we take we will be praying for and thinking of the water.  The water has given us life and now we will support the water.”

To learn more about the Ohio River Nibi Walk visit  www.nibiwalk.com.

Sharon Day, the Anishinaabe elder leading the Ohio River Nibi Walk, is available for interviews.  Please contact her directly at the number listed above. Photo of Sharon Day with Eagle Staff by Camille J. Gage; high resolution file available on request.

*A 2012 report of  Environment America Research and Policy Center states that the Ohio is North America’s most polluted river, with approximately 32,111,718 pounds of toxic discharge entering the waterway annually*

 

Press Release
MEDIA ALERT/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MORE INFO: SHARON DAY, smarieday@aol.com, 651-325-8077
CAMILLE GAGE, nibiwalk@gmail.com, 651-398-6028

SINGING TO THE SPIRIT OF THE RIVER
Indigenous-led 981 Mile Ohio River Nibi (Water) Walk begins April 22, 2014

MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Tuesday, April 22, Earth Day, 9 to 10AM
Water Steps at North Shore Riverfront Park, Pittsburgh, PA

The rivers are the arteries of the earth and they are in peril, with the Ohio River bearing the dubious distinction of being the most polluted waterway in North America.* Once beautiful and free flowing, the Ohio is now misshapen by 20 dams and made toxic from coal mining, agricultural runoff, chemical spills, and fracking waste. The recent coal slurry spills and the chemical spills at Elk River, which feeds into the Ohio, are merely the latest chapter in the ongoing plight of the River and the people who live near her shores.

Despite growing environmental awareness the challenges facing the Ohio and all of our fresh water continue to mount. Ongoing activism is crucial however we must also embark on a spiritual journey – one that will lead us to honor the water and embrace that all things are connected: that together with our lakes, streams and rivers, we will thrive or perish.

Water is life: the Nibi Walkers invite all to journey with them.

Nibi means water in the Anishinaabe language. In Anishinaabe teachings it was promised that the water would always flow down to us as long as we remembered to sing and make offerings to the water.
(Continued next page)
The Nibi Walkers believe these songs and offerings are crucial now, when the health of our freshwater is at great risk. They invite people from all walks of life to join them – in person or in spirit – on this sacred mission.

Beginning on Earth Day – April 22 – the Nibi Walkers will begin a 35 day, 981-mile, walk down the Ohio River. They will carry a ceremonial copper vessel of water from the confluence of the Ohio River at Point State Park in Pittsburgh, PA to Cairo, IL, where the Ohio joins the Mississippi River. They will walk, pray, and sing daily, sun-up to sun-down, to heal and honor the River. Though steeped in Anishinaabe ritual and beliefs, people of all faiths are welcome to walk for an hour, a day, or more.
“We want the Walk to be a prayer,” says Sharon Day, the leader of the Ohio River walk. “Every step we take we will be praying for and thinking of the water. The water has given us life and now we will support the water.”
To learn more about the Ohio River Nibi Walk visit http://www.nibiwalk.com.

Sharon Day, the Anishinaabe elder leading the Ohio River Nibi Walk, is available for interviews. Please contact her directly at the number listed above. Photos available on request.

* A 2012 report of Environment America Research and Policy Center states that the Ohio is North America’s most polluted river, with approximately 32,111,718 pounds of toxic discharge entering the waterway annually*