Indigenous Peoples' Day 2021 events to include Water Walk, Nationwide Code Red for Earth, Waterside Trail and Read Along

Indigenous Peoples' Day events poster. (Poster courtesy People of the Heart Water Walk and Indigenous Peoples' Day Campaign)

HOUGHTON -- Join the celebrations, discussions and ceremonies to share and uplift practices that honor Indigenous knowledge and cultures in several events co-hosted by People of the Heart Water Walkers; Michigan Tech faculty, staff and students from the Great Lakes Research Center; and local community members.

3rd Annual People of the Heart Water Walk -- Oct. 9-11
A journey of unity and awareness, the People of the Heart Water Walkers will walk nearly 90 miles through the Keweenaw Peninsula along Gichigami. The route this year will be reversed from the previous year, beginning at the Copper Harbor Lighthouse at Astor Shipwreck Park in Copper Harbor and concluding at Sand Point Lighthouse in Baraga.

People of the Heart Water Walkers gather at the Sand Point Lighthouse at the end of their first 90-mile walk from Copper Harbor to Baraga in October 2019. They will follow a similar route this year, concluding at this same Lighthouse. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

Again this year, because of COVID-19 concerns, distance participation is encouraged. A core group of walkers will undertake the main route. Others interested in doing this work for water may share their personal Water Walk experiences virtually through the group’s Facebook page or Google site.

The Water Walk is conducted through Anishinaabe ceremonial protocol with traditional understandings of the natural environment. Anishinaabekweg from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community will assist in the walk. In this work, women lead the ceremony carrying a copper vessel filled with nibi, the Anishinaabe word for water. The water continually moves through the 1842 ceded territory throughout the day, beginning at sunrise and into the late afternoon. An eagle staff is carried beside them as protector.

Lisa Denomie of KBIC carries Nibi along Keweenaw Bay on US-41 near Arnheim, Michigan, on Oct. 10, 2020, the first day of the 2nd Annual People of the Heart Water Walk. Protector Mike Rodriguez carries the Eagle Staff. (File photo courtesy Gichigamikwe Terri Denomie)

The conclusion of the three-day event coincides with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This annual day of celebration, which falls on Oct. 11, honors the peoples, histories and cultures of Indigenous populations across the Americas.

Sponsors of the walk include the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Campaign of Upper Michigan, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region and the Michigan Tech Writing Center.

People of the Heart Water Walkers joins those of all colors, faiths and philosophies to work together for life’s most precious resource: Nibi.

Nationwide Code Red -- Wednesday, Oct. 6
Join the virtual, nationwide "Code Red" at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6. Listen to Anishinaabekweg Doreen Blaker, Katy Bresette and Kathy Smith share stories and experiences about climate change, especially related to Nibi (water). Worldwide, Indigenous peoples are drawing attention to the Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change -- thanks to which, the United Nations is calling this moment a "code red" for our Earth, and are emphasizing Indigenous peoples’ rights and participation in climate policy. Join the Code Red via Zoom.

Waterside Trail and Read Along -- Now to Oct. 18
Starting at the Portage Lake District Library, follow the waterside trail to East Houghton Park, and read We Are Water Protectors page by page along the way. Written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade, the book is about a young girl who learns from her Nokomis (grandmother) about protecting water and Earth.