The second day of the Water Protectors Conference continued with a Sunrise Ceremony to start the day. The ceremony brought together traditional people and pipe carriers from many nations across the Great Lakes region. Grandma Josephine Mandamin led a water and strawberry ceremony to start the prayers.
After the ceremony, ATE went over to Kewadin where the conference continued with a keynote speech from former Chairman of the Little Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa, Frank Ettawageshik, who spoke about the history of treaty rights. He pointed out how the US government and the tribes had fundamentally different understandings of the definition of the terms used in the treaties. For the tribes, fishing and hunting rights were relational rights – the right to continue a healthy and natural relation with the swimmers and four-legged and other lifeforms – whereas the settlers saw these rights as property rights.
Thomas Lopez from the International Indigenous Youth Council sparked dialog at the conference, asking the community what they were doing to engage the youth, pointing out the absence of young people from the room. Many people agreed that in whatever resolutions the group passed in regards to water diversion, there should be youth involved in the committees that carry the work forward.
The group gets together for a photo at the Water Protectors conference.
Back row (left to right): Colleen Medicine, Jillian Walker, Malcolm Tulip, Tomantha Slyvester, Zach Kolodziej, John Diehl, Jonathan Diehl
Front row (left to right): Micaela Dominguez Ironshell, Thomas Lopez, Sara Radamacher, Anita Gonzalez, Eli Horinek, Shaunie Lewis, Maggie Miller
An elder and leader speaks at the conference.