Young women dedicated to Aamjiwnaang health and environment

May 19, 2015
Vanessa Gray shows the signage at a creek that flows through Aamjiwnaang and its warning.
Vanessa Gray shows the signage at a creek that flows through Aamjiwnaang and its warning.

By Greg Plain

Vanessa Gray, 22,  and her younger sister Lindsay, 20, have brought forth an idea to bring the Aamjiwnaang First Nation back to it pristine condition. The industry that surrounds Aamjiwnaang is called the Chemical Valley and it is exactly that, there are approximately 44 Chemical creating refineries in the Sarnia Lambton are and it fully surrounds the Aamjiwnaang First Nation on three sides.

They started their indiegogo account nearly two weeks ago and have already raised close to $4000 from over 90 donors across Turtle Island.

Vanessa is a young woman with a great desire to make our environment better, and the water/soil for the next generation. She has attended the Trent University for a two year certificate in Indigenous Environmental Studies.

“The program I went through in school has given me a new purpose in Aamjiwnaang to ensure our Lands are protected and kept to a standard that all the surrounding industries will have to uphold,” says Vanessa. “I feel my responsibility is to restore and reclaim the land from the industry that continues to destroy it.”

Vanessa and Lindsay have both been part of the Toxic Tours throughout the Aamjiwnaang First Nation and have been a significant part of the ASAP Environmental Group (Aamjiwnaang Sarnia against Pipelines).

Vanessa is an Anishinabe woman that takes to heart the work that women need to do on behalf of the water throughout the culture – water is sacred.

Vanessa’s work in the environment endeavours to raise $30,000.00 by July 5, 2015 on the INDIEGOGO.com site . The money raised will go towards expensive water and soil testing for heavy metals and PCB’s on water/sediment samples of creeks and ponds in Aamjiwnaang’s territories (some range at $1000.00 per test) of pollutants in our territories, building the knowledge, skills, and resources to get answers about long standing questions about the level and nature of contamination in Aamjiwnaang.

Throughout the project the group will conduct community meetings to tell the community members what they are finding throughout the territory.

This work will be done with the guidance and support from elders and youth from Aamjiwnaang.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/aamjiwnaang-water-project#pledges