For Love of the Rivers Water Walkers complete fourth Water Walk this summer
By Rick Garrick
KAMINISTIQUIA RIVER — A group of five Water Walkers completed about an 80-kilometre Water Walk along the Kaministiquia River from Silver Falls near Dog Lake to Lake Superior on Aug. 13-14. It was the fourth For Love of the Rivers 2.0 Water Walk 2022 Water Walk held this summer in the Thunder Bay area.
“It was over two days and we didn’t have as many walkers as we would have liked, but we did it,” says Sheila DeCorte, a core Water Walker with For Love of the Rivers 2.0 Water Walk 2022 and Fort William citizen. “We did it and managed it, and we had beautiful weather for it, so that was awesome.”
DeCorte says some people who live along the Kaministiquia River provided them with refreshments during the Water Walk.
“The people are so generous,” DeCorte says. “Three hours into our walk, there was a house that had a welcoming sign, ‘Welcome Water Walkers’, and refreshments for us, coffee and tea and beverages, and fresh baked cookies and cheese and spinach cupcakes and muffins.”
DeCorte says the people wanted to support the Water Walk because they love the Kaministiquia River and use it every day.
“They paddle it every day, so when they heard we were doing this walk, they just really had to come and acknowledge us and welcome us,” DeCorte says.
Sharon Manitowabi, a Water Walker with For Love of the Rivers 2.0 Water Walk 2022 and Wiikwemkoong citizen, says they also appreciated the people who stopped to show their support when passing by during the Water Walks.
“We’re very glad when they stop and ask us questions about what we’re doing,” Manitowabi says. “We’re thanked for it and that’s very gratifying for us to feel the public knows that we’re paying attention to the water.”
DeCorte says a teacher who uses Joanne Robertson’s book about the late Water Walker Josephine Mandamin-baa, The Water Walker, in her classroom was one of the passersby who stopped to talk with them.
“When she saw us out on the highway walking, she was just really excited to see us and had to pull over and say she was so happy to see the real deal, the Water Walkers,” DeCorte says.
Manitowabi says it is important to continue doing Water Walks because “the water needs help to heal.”
“Anishinabek women had relationship with the water for centuries before Europeans came,” Manitowabi says. “We lost that relationship; so when we’re talking about the effects of climate change and the new way that humankind has to go, it’s important that all women take up that responsibility and help with healing of the water.”
DeCorte says they made a commitment to Josephine Mandamin-baa, a Wiikwemkoong citizen who started the Water Walks by walking with a copper vessel of water around all five Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence River and other waterways.
“All the Water Walkers across Turtle Island and into the U.S. have made that commitment to continue her work so that we’ll not only have fresh drinking water for our generation, but future generations to come,” DeCorte says.
Manitowabi says the Water Walks may seem intimidating for people to consider joining, but each of the Water Walkers does not walk the entire distance, they walk one or two kilometres and then other walkers walk the next kilometre or two and so on.
“We’re going to have these walks for the next four years so there’s lots of opportunity,” Manitowabi says. “Next year will probably be once-a-month again, that seemed to work well. We’d really welcome anyone to come out and join us for a little while.”