Southern Ontarians unite on water quality issues

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Although Leanne Simpson has an impressive string of academic qualifications behind her name and is the director of Indigenous environmental studies at Trent University, her role at a recent environmental forum in Owen Sound was not as an expert.

Her last-minute attendance at the Great Lakes Water Conference held March 28 to 30 was to bring a traditional Water Ceremony to the forum, which explored shoreline and water quality issues of the Great Lakes. Simpson filled in when Edna Manitowabi an Elder and advisor at Trent, was unable to go.

"She sent me to do the water ceremony instead; she is the only person who could have asked me to do this," said Simpson.

Simpson's heritage is Ojibway. She is from the Alderville First Nation, north of Coburg, but she grew up off the reserve in the town of Wingham.

"I wanted to share with the forum how Ojibway women relate to Mother Earth and that water is the life blood that flows through Mother Earth," said Simpson.

About 50 people-conservationists, politicians, academics and representatives of the local First Nations-gathered in a circle under the grass as Simpson placed an abalone shell on a blanket on the ground and sat back on her heels to explain the meaning of the ceremony.

"Women in our culture are the water carriers, and as such have great respect for water," said Simpson.

"A pregnant woman carries her baby for nine months in her womb in water, and that helps tie us to the importance of water.

"This is why our people and our Elders are so concerned about what is happening to the water," she said.

She thanked the people of the Saugeen Fist Nation and the Chippewas of Nawash for being "protectors of this land for such a long time."

The ceremony concluded with all those present holding out a glass to receive water and drinking it before shaking hands.

The forum heard that Lake Huron, with its sandy shores and islands of the west coast of Grey Bruce County and its rocky escarpment shores of the east coast of Grey Bruce is the area's dominant water feature. The Lake Huron shoreline and all the rivers and streams feeding it, the inland lakes and wetlands feeding it, and underground aquifers of groundwater are all linked elements in the whole ecological web of life in Grey Bruce and beyond.

The groups discussed how to get to the core of what needs to be done in moving the Grey Bruce area along to comprehensive ecological planning.

"It was impressive to see First Nation leaders and mayors get together to tackle this important topic," said Simpson.