Messages from Nibi by Tori Cress

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Messages from Nibi

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$1,200 raised

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14 contributors

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Ended Sep 14, 2016

By Tori Cress

Personal campaign Keep it all Bala, ON, CA Report

Aaniin, Boozhoo. Negozit kwe ndizhnaakaz, Waabishezhii ndoodem, Chimnissing indoojiibaa.

Last week the Anishinaabe & Metis of the Great Lakes held ceremony for Nibi (water) to seek guidance and council from within our own peoples. We all made a commitment to Nibi and have work we all need to do as the Anishinaabe Nation, Metis Nation and those whose love of Nibi brings them to support this work.

I offered up prayers while there and have heard the call of my Secwepemc sisters and will be bringing with me the words of renewal from the ceremonies of the Anishinaabe Peoples, which was birthed on the shores of Lake Huron. Our youth's feeling of hopelessness has been recognized. During Ceremony they asked "Why do we have to pay for the mistakes we didn't make?".

They asked for a revolutionary movement like Idle No More, but for the Nibi (water). As an aunty I have hold up the mirror so that they can look in it and see that there is hope, and it is in them. Lift up the voices of our youth and make Nibi your revolution too. They have so much to teach us along this journey to protect Nibi for all of us.

My mother, son and I will traveling west with our drums and shakers to share this message of the committment we made collectively to protect Nibi that connects us all. To bring gifts from our homeland and Nibi to share at the sacred Secwepemc fire. The fire will be lit at the Secwepemc encampment on August 4th and we will be there to stand with the Secwepemc Peoples who are stand strong against the mining industry on their unceded homelands.

We are a grassroots family delivering a message to the same families when we arrive. We will need support in making the 8346 km round trip journey across Turtle Island on behalf of the Nibi. We will be looking for places cost effective places to camp ($280) along the way and will also need funds for fuel ($450) and food ($500). Any donated funds left over will be re-donated to the both next gathering on behalf of the Nibi, the Clans Gathering and the Secwepemc Grassroots Women on the frontline of defense.

We are also accepting PayPal donations here: PayPal Donation Link or etransfers at torianncress@gmail.com with security answer as: nibi

Our journey route can be found on this link https://goo.gl/maps/jwiy1Dn9wR42.

You can find out more about this Secwepemc call out for support on their Facebook event page here.

For some history about the Mount Polley mining disaster, check out the video our sister Kanahus Manuel produced last year on the 1st anniversary of the spill:

Our relations from the West have called out for protections of the Nibi, the Lands, the four legged and the Salmon they rely on. The Yuct Ne Senxiymetkwe Camp was setup two years ago as a Secwepemc encampment at the entrance of the Imperial Metals' Mount Polley Mine.

The anniversary will bring together Indigenous peoples and supporters to the Yuct Ne Senxiymetkwe Camp to light a sacred fire and strengthen our resolve to stop destructive mining and other extractive projects taking place on Indigenous lands without free prior and informed consent.