Nibi Water Walk on the Willow River with Sharon Day

“The Nibi Water Walks are based in Ojibwe Ceremonial Water Teachings.  The reason we walk is to honor the rivers and all water and to speak to the water spirits so that there will be healthy rivers, lakes and oceans for our ancestors in the generations to come. When we are walking for the water, we are in ceremony from the beginning of the day until we retire at day’s end. We try to move like the river, continuously all day long, every day until we reach our destination. We carry asemaa/tobacco with us to offer to any flowing streams or rivers we cross, also to honor any animals we may cross over along the roads or trails. When we walk, this is a time for prayer or songs for the water.”

“Women make the offerings for the water, sing the water songs and make the petitions for our water to be pure and clean and continuously flow down to us. Because we are in ceremony, women wear long skirts. We wear long skirts to show our respect for the grass, for mother earth and for ourselves. Women on their moon do not carry the water during this time, as they are already in ceremony. Men carry the eagle feather staff, but if there are no males in attendance, then women can carry the staff and the copper vessel.”

Cosponsored by North Woods and Waters of the St. Croix Heritage Area.

Photo credit: Keely Kernan