V.K. Greer Memorial Public School will be holding a Water Walk on June 11 at Mary Lake.
According to Kailey Richter and Lynn Marshall, staff at the school, the Water Walk has been in the works for several years.
They say staff at V.K Greer have built relationships with community members from Wahta First Nation, Wasauksing First Nation and Beausoleil First Nation. Over the past six years the school has been gifted with teachings from Elder Stock, Oshbeenis (helper) Dave Rice and Oshbeenis Tabitha Lamoureux.
Students at the school have learned about Haudenaushanee culture, such as Ohenten Kariwatekwen (The Thanksgiving Address) and Wahta (maple) teachings, as well as Anishinaabe culture, such as Niizhwaaswi G’mishomisinaanig (The Seven Grandfathers) and Wichita Do Ya (Water Song).
During one of these visits, Oshbeenis Dave invited the school to plan a Water Walk.
According to staff, the Ontario curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 8 has woven in the importance of water, so they will be using the Water Walk as a culminating activity.
Richter and Marshall hope that from the Water Walk, students take away the teachings that “water grounds us, it runs through us and Aki Kwe (Mother Earth) and is essential for our survival, so we need to respect and protect water as we are connected to it.”
They also hope to continue building relationships and respect for the original caretakers of the land through teachings from Elders and Knowledge Holders.
Richter and Marshall say as a community it is important to protect water, and they are hopeful the Water Walk will bring attention to how important it is.
“When our community members see us walking, we want them to pause, reflect on their consumption of water and do everything they can to make decisions to take care of the water – whether that be buying less plastic, reusing items, planting a garden, opposing Bill 5, or purchasing an electric car. We are walking for the children, and future generations,” they said.
