Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

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.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

relationship with water

The Big Idea: Investing in “sponge cities” can mitigate the toll of climate change

The Big Idea: Investing in “sponge cities” can mitigate the toll of climate change

My fascination with water began as a child, when I saw rain for the first time. I spent the first 10 years of my life in the United Arab Emirates—one of the driest countries on Earth. My sister and I had eagerly anticipated the first rainfall of our lives, excited to put our new rain jackets to the test. When the first drops spattered on the windows of our house, I felt the excitement and joy bubble up inside me as we ran outside. The cool, calming sprinkle was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

An Indigenous approach to understanding water

An Indigenous approach to understanding water

“siwɬkʷ (WATER) IS SACRED AND IS LIFE FOR ALL PEOPLE. We know from our histories and our knowledge that water is one of the most important resources available to humans and animals.” But for Dawn Machin and Sarah Alexis, both from snƛ̓x̌ʷx̌ʷtan (Six-Mile Creek area in the North Arm of Okanagan Lake), there’s a disconnect between what water represents to humanity and how it’s perceived.

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