1200 mile Mississippi River Water Walk aims to draw attention to the health of the river.
A group of Indigenous Women are carrying a ceremonial copper pail of water from the headwaters of the Mississippi in Minnesota to the delta at the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana.
The Mississippi River Water Walkers and their supporters will leave Lake Itasca State Park on March 1 following a traditional Ojibwe water ceremony at 7:00 am and will continue walking each and every day until they reach the Gulf near New Orleans on or around April 29th. Now four weeks and 600 miles into their mission, the women have walked through heavy wind and snow in the Upper Midwest as lower than average temperatures made the going rough but did not dim their enthusiasm or dampen their commitment.
The Water Walkers aim to draw attention to the perils facing the river due to pollution. The Mississippi River is the second most polluted river in the United States. Toxic chemicals from municipalities, farms and corporations are taking their toll on the river. By the time a drop of water reaches the "dead zones" near the mouth of the river, the water is nearly depleted of oxygen. The Walkers bring a message of hope as they educate people along the way and encourage them to do what they can to be better stewards of the river..
"We want the walk to be a prayer," Day says. "Every step we take we will be praying for and thinking of the water. The water has given us life and now, we will support the water."
A group of Indigenous Women are carrying a ceremonial copper pail of water from the headwaters of the Mississippi in Minnesota to the delta at the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana.
The Mississippi River Water Walkers and their supporters will leave Lake Itasca State Park on March 1 following a traditional Ojibwe water ceremony at 7:00 am and will continue walking each and every day until they reach the Gulf near New Orleans on or around April 29th. Now four weeks and 600 miles into their mission, the women have walked through heavy wind and snow in the Upper Midwest as lower than average temperatures made the going rough but did not dim their enthusiasm or dampen their commitment.
The Water Walkers aim to draw attention to the perils facing the river due to pollution. The Mississippi River is the second most polluted river in the United States. Toxic chemicals from municipalities, farms and corporations are taking their toll on the river. By the time a drop of water reaches the "dead zones" near the mouth of the river, the water is nearly depleted of oxygen. The Walkers bring a message of hope as they educate people along the way and encourage them to do what they can to be better stewards of the river..
"We want the walk to be a prayer," Day says. "Every step we take we will be praying for and thinking of the water. The water has given us life and now, we will support the water."
