2011 – Ti’Swaq to Bus-Chut-Whut
I have been asked to make a statement on how I see this prayer. I chose to Walk the Water because of my personal connection to Mni Wichoni (the sacred water of life) and my knowledge of the power of prayer. Water flows through Uncí Maka (Grandmother Earth) as our blood flows though our veins. As human beings, many have forgotten our original instructions about caring for Uncí Maka. We have dammed Her waters and obstructed the natural flow of Her blood. This obstruction affects Her ability to provide for all who walk, swim, fly, and grow upon Her. She need us to stand up for her now…in whatever place you stand on Her…you are standing on sacred land! We know that if a human gets a blockage in their veins that they can die…yet we refuse to see this is also true of Uncí Maka.
The route was prayerfully chosen from Ti sqwa to Alder Dam to Franks Landing to Bus-chut-whut to the artesian well. We as human beings need to make better choices. If we harness the power of water we must harness it where it is naturally created. Dams obstruct the natural flow of water and all that live within that water; affecting the migration of fish affects everything in that river. EVERYTHING is connected. A scientist went to the Native Alaskans to talk about the decrease in the whale population, and they talked to him about the beaver that lived far inland. After many conversations about the beaver the scientist became frustrated and said I do not want to talk about the beaver I am interested in the whale. They laughed and said we are talking to you about the whale; the beaver and the whale are connected. The overpopulation of the beaver for the last 4 years has dammed up the river…stopping the spawning of the fish that the whale lives on. Fix the overpopulation of the beaver and you fix the whale; to fix the overpopulation of the beaver you need to bring back the wolf…all are connected.
To fix the natural estuary you now call Capitol Lake you must allow the water to flow freely. The water of the estuary fill still reflects the image of the Capitol Building…and reflects the evergreen state in a powerful way!
We wish to keep this prayer simple. Every footstep creates a vibration on the land…when that vibration is created out of love and respect that vibration becomes a powerful prayer. As do the vibrations created as we dance, when we sing. We welcome anyone who feels called to come and walk with this water and carry an eagle staff. We need to keep it simple!
I would love to see the people gather again at Alder Dam to honor the ancestors who have gathered there for generations; to have the people sing and dance again there would be a powerful addition to the prayer. This gathering would be in addition to the prayer if someone chooses to take it on.
What we need:
A copper bucket
Several pvc free plastic containers for drinking water for cooking and drink on the walk ~ NO BOTTLED WATER WILL BE ALLOWED ON THE WALK
(Copied, with gratitude and respect, from Brian Raven Redbone’s original Water Is Life Walk site.)
