Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
Elder Garry and Grandmother Tina Sault of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation will explain the significance of water that was shared at the morning’s Indigenous Welcoming Ceremony, contained in the silver teapot displayed in the Chamber. The teapot is symbolic of the City’s commitment to its Reconciliation Action Plan.
A Winnipeg-based artist is getting her hands dirty this summer for a 10-day workshop in Grand Rapids, Man., that focuses on harvesting clay by hand to create traditional Indigenous water vessels. Visual artist KC Adams, who is Anishinaabe, Nêhiyaw and British, is leading the workshop, titled Water Knowledge, where she guides a group of women-identifying and non-binary artists deep into the land on Lake Winnipeg's northeastern shore, teaching them the traditional practice.
