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Today we celebrate mothers and give gratitude for life givers

Posoh John,

This Mother's Day, we show gratitude for all mothers, life givers, nurturers, and caregivers. We also remember and say prayers for our first Mother – the Earth. She provides everything we need for life, including her lifeblood, the water.

Every human begins life in water. We orbit inside our mother's wombs in water, and it is water that signals when it's time for birth. We are inexplicably connected to and depend on our mother, the Earth, and her lifeblood, the water.

These water teachings come from the Midewiwin Lodge, which means "the way of the heart."  It is our women who care for the water and who lead prayers and songs for the protection of water and for healing.

Water Walkers
Last month, I was honored to participate in the Sturgeon Water Walk MKE, which began with a traditional water ceremony for the health of our waters and the life within. The water ceremony was done by children of the Indian Community School, as was the smudging and tobacco ceremony. Those same children led the Sturgeon Water Walk.

The protocols followed were practiced by Josephine Mandamin, or Biidaasige-ba, also known as “The Water Walker." She was a respected water-rights activist. Biidaasige-ba is known for her walk around the Great Lakes from 2003 to 2017 to bring awareness to the problems of water pollution and environmental degradation on the Great Lakes and Indigenous reserves in Canada. 

Her family has sanctioned a few women to tell her story and they were there to mentor and lead the water walk. Here is a quote used by Indigenous people who are water carriers and water walkers:

"We’ve known for a long time that water is alive,” said Biidaasige-ba. “Water can hear you. Water can sense what you are saying and what you are feeling… Give it respect and it can come alive. Like anything. Like a person who is sick…if you give them love, take care of them, they’ll come alive."

Today let’s celebrate Mother Earth, her lifeblood, and the wonderful mothers in our lives. I’ll be thinking of my mother Edith “Edie” Waukau, of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. She was a big-hearted woman who always put her children first and had an enormous passion for life, love, and fun.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Wāēwāēnen,

Anne Egan-Waukau

Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin

Wisconsin Native Vote

Wisconsin Conservation Voices
133 S. Butler Street Suite 320
Madison, WI 53703
United States

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