Today I woke up at 5:15 a.m. excited because today has finally arrived. Sandy Stein and I will meet at Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation’s tribal college at 9 a.m. with anticipation of meeting up with Mother Earth Water Walkers. The Water Walkers will be coming through Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation on their way to Bad River on June 12.
The purpose of the water walk is to raise awareness to protect clean fresh drinking water from pollution and privatization around the world and to protect water for seven generations out. Water is a gift not a commodity. Water is coming in a copper bucket which Grandmother Josephine Mandamin and others who have been water on and off since April 10. Men often have carried the Eagle Feather Staff to protect women. Water Walkers are coming to Bad River to converge on June 12 from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes.
Will report on if we made the connection today. Sandy and I plan to walk with the Water Walkers from the tribal college to the Honor the Earth Pow Wow grounds. LCO has opened up the event to the public and invites the public to come and meet the Water Walkers. There will be ceremony and feasting.
Mary Ellen Ryall is a council guide of the Sisterhood of Planetary Water Rites with headquarters in California. She will carry the intentions of women who shared that they wanted to be on this walk with the Water Walkers. The names will be typed up and added to a small butterfly beaded medicine bag that she will wear as she walks with the Water Walkers.
On Saturday, September 11, a participant and I gathered up our ceremonial materials and walked to the sand dunes near my home in Minong, Wisconsin.
Jackie arrived about 6:30 p.m. and we shortly found our way to the sacred sands. We put a cloth down large enough to make an altar. I brought flowers and the vessel to carry the artesian water. Beforehand I went to the woods between Shell Lake and Spooner where the water flows free of contaminants and chemicals. Mother Earth’s blood (which is water) just bubbles up to the surface in this enchanted forest. I always thank the water before taking any.
Jackie brought a photo picture of her guru. I brought gourd rattles. One gourd is from the gourds I found growing in a dirt pile last year and the other gourd was from New Mexico. It is a peyote medicine rattle. I brought my birch bark clapping sticks and drum which was given to me by an elder who made me promise I would use it only to pray for water. I never dreamed a few years ago when Frank gave it to me that someday I would be a Council Guide. I am honored to say I am now with the Sisterhood of Indigenous Water Rites. I feel very honored by both blessings.
I can’t really tell you what took place at the ceremony. Perhaps someday if you are a woman you will come and share this sacred ceremony with us. I can say that we prayed for the Net of Light workshop in Ireland who were connected with us through mutual intentions and ceremony. I can say that we thanked the water and each in turn talked to the water and told her we loved her. I did say I knew that mankind often did not respect her, contaminated and polluted her. I asked for forgiveness of these unconscious and sometimes cruel acts. I acknowledged that we are made up of mostly water and we need fresh water around the world for humanity and for seven generations out.
Both Jackie and I performed the Nibi Wabo water ceremony. We also danced around the altar and sang. I did notice the tiniest of little miniature flowers on sliver stalks. I wonder if anyone on Earth saw such sweet flowers that we were careful not to step on as we danced. As we bid goodbye to the ceremony, we saw the new moon on the third day as a sliver of light, first star and the sunset all at the same time.
Smoke signal
It was glorious how the clouds turned pink to the east as we looked over the horizon and saw the valley hills around us.
We took the blessed water afterwards and gave some to Mother Earth at certain spots. One was at the sweet fern that I prayed for several years ago. I wanted her to come up the hill from the other side and adorn the sand dunes. Then we carried some to the fir trees that are starting by succession to come into the sand dunes. Then we blessed milkweed and sacred prairie sage that I planted in 2008. I have been seeding this site for years in the hopes of making a sanctuary for the monarch butterfly. It is working, butterflies do flutter here in season.
We need to respect water. Please visit and learn that not all people are as fortunate as we are in the USA. Many people and countries need water. Can you imagine being thirsty? Have a heart and open your eyes to others in need at http://twitter.com/charitywater
Remember: Water is not a resource to be squandered. Water is the source of life for all living beings. Say a prayer of thanksgiving when you lift the water of life to your lips and be grateful.
Washington, Aug 7 – “Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today announced H.R. 6006, which closes a loophole that allows the bottled water industry to divert or export an unlimited amount of water from the Great Lakes. The bill was introduced along with cosponsors Bart Stupak (MI), Marcy Kaptur (OH) and Betty McCollum (MN).”
Source: Congressman Dennis Kuchiich’s Web site.
Be happy insectamonarca friends where ever you are.
I was facinated by Gladyce Nahbenayash’s talk at the Nibi Wabo (Water Ceremony) at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Community College’s January Water Film Fest Event. She spoke highly of Dr. Masaru Emoto, the author of revolutionary work on molecules of water affected by our thoughts, words and feelings.
The tribal college had a few of the titles in their library. I remembered seeing a You Tube video of frozen water crystals on Facebook recently. The video was blogged by Brian Nolan. It made me cry when I saw how water responds to love and gratitude.
Tia my dog and I used to swim in this beautiful clear lake
Such beautiful crystals, how could I have been so blind as to take water for granted. I turned the tap on and drank and didn’t even think to thank the water for the gift it was giving me. I was doing water ceremonies at the lake, near ponds etc. but I didn’t bring the message home.
Gladyce brought many of us back to reconnect with water not only at the beach but in our homes. The water is teaching us that we need to pay attention to her. Fresh drinking water is at stake all over the world and greedy privatization of water as a commodity is growing. Water is feminine and it is disrespectful to treat her in this way.
I thought you would enjoy the video. I am reading The Hidden Messages in Water and The Healing Power of Water by Dr. Emoto. The books and video are based on his scientific studies.
May we all appreciate the gift of life that water gives all living species.
Be happy insectamonarca friends where ever you are.
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