Josephine Mandaman, A First Nations Grandmother, Anishinaabekwe from Manitoulin Island, conducted the petition for the Sacred Waters the day before the Peoples Climate March. As an IEN delegate, she brought the teachings of Water to everyone. Ayşe Öz quoted her: “One day, the earth will be clean,” she said. “This is the work that has been left for us to do.” The climate comprises every drop of water, and, “That little droplet of water unites us all.” She talked to the Native and non-Native alliances working together to shut down the Canadian tar sands and pipelines. She talked to the Indigenous women and alliances fighting against oil concessions in the Amazonian jungles of Ecuador and everyones fight for climate justice by keeping the oil in the soil and the tar sands in the land and against hydraulic fracturing. Ayse Oz further quotes her at the water ceremony: In Anishinaabekwe culture, women are given the responsibility to take care of the water. “The water of Mother Earth, she carries life to us, and as women we carry life through our bodies. We as women are life-givers, protectors of the water, and that’s why we are very inclined to give mother earth the respect that she needs for the water,” said Mandamin. That’s our responsibility, our role, and our duty, to pass on the knowledge and understanding of water, to all people, not just Anishinabe people, but people of all colors.” Photos by Ayse Oz.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 19:00:46 +0000
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