Community Engagement

Merlyn Netamegessic – water walks and teachings of Nibi

Judy Wawia – water walks and teachings of Nibi

Jim Mishquart – cultural teachings regarding Nibi

Dave Traintinger – cultural teachings regarding land, resources & Nibi

Educating the next generation, the sacredness of water is also another concern for the people of Lake Helen First Nation. The elders and source water protection coordinator have established a working relationship with the local elementary schools and high schools, the elders have been able to teach the youth and adult youth the sacredness of Nibi culturally through water walks, stories and songs.  The SWPC has been able to educate the youth through hands on learning, they have been able to make their own water filters, to gain an understanding how the earth is a natural filter. Through this example they can see how contamination effects the environment and impacts all life including humanity. Lake Helen First Nation has strongly encouraged educating the next generation, they are the future land & resource guardians. The Elders have said, “how will they know, if we do not educate them and enable them to use their gifts the Creator has given them”.

COMMUNITY INPUT:

Community members have expressed that, “water is a gift”. It not only brings physical healing but symbolic of spiritual healing.

Community members expressed concern that human activities have degraded water, and that action must take place to heal waters and to protect it as a natural resource from harm. Having healthy water is essential for plants, fish, animal habitats and human sustainability.

Though the community engagement process, cultural teachings were shared from our local water keepers, how water is the foundation of life, from conception, we are surrounded in water in our mothers’ womb, and water sustains us till our last water vapour breath. The elders instilled in the youth and adults present, “Water is the life-giving gift” that the Creator provides for all of us as his creation. If we don’t have clean water, we don’t have life. We each hold a responsibility as the modern-day water keepers and guardians to maintain a respectful relationship with water that involves caring for and protecting the waters. The elders also shared that years ago the indicators in the water that would let you know if the water was healthy was the loon calling, they had said, “listen while you fish and swim this summer, do you hear the loons.?” They are the natural God given indicators of how healthy your water is here in Lake Helen, your community!

Historically women are recognized in the Ojibwa culture as having the primary responsibility for water and leading water ceremonies in their family and communities. They are and were known as the “water keepers”. It was the women in the community who held the responsibility to teach the next generation to respect and protect Nibi.

Today the responsibility of monitoring, protecting and educating youth in our community at Lake Helen Reserve regarding Nibi is shared not only by the elders and women but also men in the community who are equally passionate to instill the sacredness of water and to teach the future water keepers as well land guardians.

Culturally tobacco is symbolic of thanking the Creator, you use it when hunting, fishing, praying, and any event of wanting to communicate with him. Traditionally tobacco would be offered in a ceremony to pray for the water and its healing, however the Creator has gifted us as humans with gifts to use in this world to take care of it and each other. Our Ojibway language dialect consists of 80 % verbs, verbs are action, we can pray and ask for healing but the Creator never intended for us to sit back, he enables us with each gifts to take action in our communities and be a part of the healing spiritually and physically. Lake Helen First Nation is passionate to educate and inspire not only this generation of water keepers and land guardians but the next 7 generations to come.

It is for this reason that Lake Helen First Nation decided to start the process of a “source water protection plan”.