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.
Here on Earth, nuclear fusion is produced by fusing the elements deuterium and tritium. Deuterium is quite plentiful and can be found in water, but is most abundant in our oceans. Tritium, on the other hand, is less plentiful and is primarily found in our atmosphere, a result of cosmic radiation. Tritium is also made in nuclear explosions and is a byproduct from nuclear reactors.
A plastic bottle crinkles in Deanna Starlight’s hand. She holds it up while standing in her home in Tsuut’ina Nation. “We normally have porridge every day,” she said. “One of these (bottles of water) takes a porridge.” Bottled water has become a life source for the family; they even use it to cook with. Starlight estimates they spend up to $800 a month on bottled water, either in big plastic jugs or little bottles like the one she has in her hand. “At one point there was 22 of us, you know, downstairs another family down there and here. A lot of water, a lot of water,” said Starlight, who is an elder in the community.
