Detroit, Michigan — otherwise known as Waawiyaatanong — where the curved shores meet, the area between Windsor and Detroit — along the Detroit River corridor, occupied territory of the Anishinaabek.
Among the many notable figures advocating for the protection of the land and her waters is Josephine Mandaamin-ba, Anishinaabek Chief Water Commissioner and dedicated activist. Inspired by an elder’s prophecy that by 2030 clean water would become more precious than gold, Josephine devoted her life to praying for the water, embarking on prayer walks around each of the Great Lakes until her transition to the spirit world in 2019. Through her efforts, she raised international awareness about the health of these vital waters.
In her honor and fueled by our love for the water, we celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day in Detroit by organizing a prayer walk on Waabizii Mnising, or Belle Isle. The day was filled with song, storytelling, healing, and love as we gathered to pray for our waters.
Celebrating Indigenous culture also means honoring the land we stand upon. Our lives are a ceremony as we strive to walk in a good way. As Grandma Josephine Mandaamin-ba once said, “As women, we are carriers of the water. We carry life for the people. So when we carry that water, we are telling people that we will go to any lengths for the water. We’ll probably even give our lives for the water if we have to.”
