Context

I believe we are interconnected as women. There is no one greater than anyone else. We do it together. That’s how nature teaches us to conduct ourselves. When we walk for the water, it reminds us of the sacredness of water and raises awareness of our responsibility to water. it’s not just for me, it’s for all of us and it brings us together. We are all the backbone. ~ Mona Stonefish

The first photo at Lake Superior shows (from left to right) ᓂᐱᓂ ᑲᐱᒧᓭᑲᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ (Water Walkers) ᒥᑫᓫᐊ ᔕᑊ, ᒪᑲᑌᑲᐧᓀᐱᑫᐧ Mikayla Schaaf, Magadegwanebiikwe, Black feather woman, Blackfeet, Ojibwe, Wichita (wearing tan-coloured clothing); ᐊᕑᐊᐧᕑᐊ ᒪᑐᒥᓂᐢᑭᔭᑭ ᒪᒥᔭ Aurora Matominskiahhki Mamea, Amskapi, Pikuni Tribe (wearing blue and red clothing); ᒧᓇ ᐢᑐᐣᐱᐡ Mona Stonefish, ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ (Nishnaabe) Onkwehon:we, Three Fires Confederacy, ᐸᑭᒋᐊᐧᓄᐠ ᑎᐯᒋᑫᐃᐧᐣ (Bkejwanong Territory) (wearing green clothing); ᒥᔐᓫ ᒪᐢ, ᒪᑲᐧ ᓂᑦᑭᑫᐧ Michele Maas, Anishinaabe, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Enrolled), Makwa Nimkiikwe, living in San Francisco, California (wearing purple clothing). Behind them is ᓀᑎᐣ ᑲᐧᐢᑌᓫᐅ, ᒐᐣᑎᐊᐧᑭᔭᐣ ᑕᐣᑐᕑᐦᐊᕑᐟ Nathan Costello, Chanti’wa’kiyan Thunderheart, Lakotah Ohmaha, Ponca and Northern Cheyenne (the Staff Carrier).

The second photo at Lake Superior shows (from left to right) ᓂᐱᓂ ᑲᐱᒧᓭᑲᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ (Water Walkers) ᑭᓫᐁᐣᑕ ᐱᑐᐢᑭ Glenda Petoskey, Enrolled Member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa’s, originally from Peshawbestown, Michigan, and currently living in Oakland, California (wearing a black jacket); ᒥᔐᓫ ᒪᐢ, ᒪᑲᐧ ᓂᑦᑭᑫᐧ Michele Maas, Anishinaabe, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Enrolled), Makwa Nimkiikwe, living in San Francisco, California (wearing purple clothing); ᐊᕑᐊᐧᕑᐊ ᒪᑐᒥᓂᐢᑭᔭᑭ ᒪᒥᔭ Aurora Matominskiahhki Mamea, Amskapi, Pikuni Tribe (wearing blue and red clothing); ᒥᑫᓫᐊ ᔕᑊ, ᒪᑲᑌᑲᐧᓀᐱᑫᐧ Mikayla Schaaf, Magadegwanebiikwe, Black feather woman, Blackfeet, Ojibwe, Wichita (wearing tan-coloured clothing). They are joined by a Water Walker whom we could not identify. Behind them is ᓀᑎᐣ ᑲᐧᐢᑌᓫᐅ, ᒐᐣᑎᐊᐧᑭᔭᐣ ᑕᐣᑐᕑᐦᐊᕑᐟ Nathan Costello, Chanti’wa’kiyan Thunderheart, Lakotah Ohmaha, Ponca and Northern Cheyenne (the Staff Carrier).

The third photo in San Francisco at Ocean Beach shows (from left to right) ᓂᐱᓂ ᑲᐱᒧᓭᑲᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ (Water Walkers) ᐁᑊᕑᐅ ᒥᑭᓫ April MGill (Yuki from round valley in Mendocino, CA & Wappo from Alexander Valley in Sonoma County, CA) (wearing yellow clothing); ᒥᑫᓫᐊ ᔕᑊ, ᒪᑲᑌᑲᐧᓀᐱᑫᐧ Mikayla Schaaf, Magadegwanebiikwe, Black feather woman, Blackfeet, Ojibwe, Wichita (wearing tan-coloured clothing); ᒥᔐᓫ ᒪᐢ, ᒪᑲᐧ ᓂᑦᑭᑫᐧ Michele Maas, Anishinaabe, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Enrolled), Makwa Nimkiikwe, living in San Francisco, California (wearing purple clothing); ᒧᓇ ᐢᑐᐣᐱᐡ Mona Stonefish, ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ (Nishnaabe) Onkwehon:we, Three Fires Confederacy, ᐸᑭᒋᐊᐧᓄᐠ ᑎᐯᒋᑫᐃᐧᐣ (Bkejwanong Territory) (wearing green clothing); beside Mona is ᒐᑭ ᐱᕑᓴᐣ, ᑲᓂᐸᐃᐧᐟ ᑲᐧᔭᐠ ᒪᑲᐧ ᐃᑫᐧ Jackie Pierson, Standing Upright Bear Woman (Kaniibawid Kwyak Makwa Ikwe), Anishinaabe, from Winnipeg, MB on Treaty 1 territory and living in the Bay Area for the last 16 years (wearing blue clothing); ᐊᕑᐊᐧᕑᐊ ᒪᑐᒥᓂᐢᑭᔭᑭ ᒪᒥᔭ Aurora Matominskiahhki Mamea, Amskapi, Pikuni Tribe (wearing blue and red clothing); ᓴᓫᐃᓫᐃᐅᐊ ᓂᔪᒥᑐᓫᐅ Sauliloa Niumeitolu and her sister Fuifuilupe (behind Mona), who are Tongan but live in Berkeley, Huichin, Ohlone Territory, California; and ᓯᕑᐃᐠ ᔭᐣᑭ Tsering Yankey, whose tribe is Zamar Adak, homeland is Tibet (unlawfully occupied by China), and lives in Ohlone Territory. Behind them is ᓀᑎᐣ ᑲᐧᐢᑌᓫᐅ, ᒐᐣᑎᐊᐧᑭᔭᐣ ᑕᐣᑐᕑᐦᐊᕑᐟ Nathan Costello, Chanti’wa’kiyan Thunderheart, Lakotah Ohmaha, Ponca and Northern Cheyenne (the Staff Carrier).

Mona Stonefish chose to include these July 19, 2019 images of Three Fires Confederacy dancing in support of Mauna Kea in Hawai’i. Mauna Kea is a culturally significant mountain and the site of protests to oppose the building of a 30-meter telescope, which would desecrate the land.^1(footnote) The photos have overlaid text. The first says “#We Are Mauna Kea, Kū Kiaʻi Mauna” and the second says “Stop the desecration! Mauna Kea.” The images demonstrate how ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯᐠ (Nishnaabeg) are not the only ones who are fighting for land and water. The image shows Mona Stonefish standing behind the Hawai’ian flag along with her community who are in solidarity and connection to humanity through ceremonial movement to protect and heal the land and water.^2(footnote)

Water contamination is a primary human health concern. According to a report by Dean Jacobs, Dave White, N.C. Williams, R. Williams, and JR Bend, entitled The 2010 Health Risk of the Walpole Island First Nation Community from Exposure to Environmental Contaminants, “For many years, toxic chemicals have been released from point sources into the ᓭᐣᐟ ᑭᓫᐁᕑ ᓯᐱ (St. Clair River) by industries located on or near its banks and this practice continues today. More than 300 tonnes of mercury were released into the ᓭᐣᐟ ᑭᓫᐁᕑ ᓯᐱ (St. Clair River) over several decades by two chlor-alkali plants, resulting in the closure of the ᐊᐧᓫᐳᓫ ᒥᓂᑎᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐃᐧ ᑕᓇᐱᐃᐧᐣ (Walpole Island First Nation) (WIFN) fishing industry in the early 1970s. There are also regular accidental spills that result in advisories not to remove water for treatment for drinking from the ᓭᐣᐟ ᑭᓫᐁᕑ ᓯᐱ (St. Clair River). The geographical location of ᐊᐧᓫᐳᓫ ᒥᓂᑎᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐃᐧ ᑕᓇᐱᐃᐧᐣ (Walpole Island First Nation) makes it vulnerable to the effects of both water and air pollution, and this has been the case for several decades.

“Residents commented on the increasing number of deaths and individuals with diseases that were less common (cancer, diabetes) in previous generations. To a large degree, this was attributed to water pollution. The stress manifested for residents in several different ways, particularly worrying about the health of their children, grandchildren, and those yet unborn in the community.”^3(footnote)

Water and movement, we need more of that. With global warming, the ice is melting and the polar bears can’t speak for themselves. We are the threads of change and we can do it. We’ve been here since time immemorial. We’re going to ride the wave – we are not frozen shells today. Traditions, language, and culture connect us to our land, water, and sky (our ecosystem), and that is what will truly sustain us into the future. ~Mona Stonefish