In 2003, Josephine Mandamin walked around Lake Superior carrying a pail of water. It was the first of many walks the Anishinaabe grandmother took to call for more action to protect clean water.<\/p>\n
Autumn Peltier is Mandamin\u2019s great niece and a member of the Wiikwemkoong First Nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we\u2019re born as Anishinaabe people, we\u2019re automatically given that role to protect the water and the land,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Sixteen-year-old Peltier has followed in her aunt\u2019s footsteps as a water protector and climate activist.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy auntie Josephine is one of my biggest role models and mentors,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Like her aunt, Peltier participates in water walks and speaks at events.<\/p>\n
At 12 years old, she\u00a0confronted Canada\u2019s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau\u00a0about his support for oil pipelines that she said threatened clean water. And at 14, she was named chief water commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a chief water commissioner, I was given the role for advocating for First Nations communities around the Great Lakes,\u201d Peltier says.<\/p>\n
Peltier\u2019s aunt previously held the position until she died in 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen she passed away, she told me to not stop doing the work that I was doing and not to give up,\u201d Peltier says.<\/p>\n
So she continues to protect the land and water of her people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In 2003, Josephine Mandamin walked around Lake Superior carrying a pail of water. It was the first of many walks the Anishinaabe grandmother took to call for more action to protect clean water. Autumn Peltier is Mandamin\u2019s great niece and a member of the Wiikwemkoong First Nation. \u201cWhen we\u2019re born as Anishinaabe people, we\u2019re automatically given that role to protect the water and the land,\u201d she says. Sixteen-year-old Peltier has followed in her aunt\u2019s footsteps as a water protector and climate activist. \u201cMy auntie Josephine is one of my biggest role models and mentors,\u201d she says. Like her aunt, Peltier […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3092,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n