Children’s Climate Change Conference - Nov. 2015

Aanii, Bozhoo,

Mskwaageezo-kwe Ndishnikaas, Migizi Ndodem, Wikwemikong Ishkoonigong Ndoonjibaa. My English name is Autumn Peltier, I come from the Wiikwemkoong unceded Indian reserve located on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada. I would like to take – share my thoughts about the importance of water. Our water is very important because it brings new life. We see this when babies are born, when the water breaks. The reason I'm talking about the water is because our water is getting sick; the people and the factors of the world are making the water sick. If we as Anishinabek and fellow humans don't do anything now this sick water will make Mother Earth sick. Imagine a world without water – our animals would die; our insects would die; our medicines would die; all life as we know it would die. This makes me very sad. Some countries have very little drinking water; in my own territory that our First Nation families up north that can't drink the water. I also have an auntie Josephine Mandamin Biidaasige-ba – she prays for the water every day. She walked around all the Great Lakes; she understands the importance of water. The woman of the world must contain her to support her – we need to heal the earth, now it's time for the future of humanity falling behind us.

I would like to offer up a water song to pray for our water and women of the earth.

[Water song in Indigenous language]

Miigwech, thank you.

Peltier, A. [Assembly of First Nations]. (2015, December 10) Anishinabek youth: Children’s Climate Change Conference [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQuIlAhf6c8]. Retrieved on April 9, 2022 from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-hwjLXikqIy-oytgNKjYcw.