Day 3. The Spirit of Water – Flowing Connections.
Water is not a resource; it is a relative. It flows through all life, connecting rivers to clouds, ancestors to descendants, prayer to practice. For the Anishinaabe people, water is sacred, the first medicine, and the lifeblood of Creation. It teaches us to move with grace and persistence, to find paths around resistance, to carve through stone, and to nourish what is dry.
Across the world, Indigenous women have risen as “Water Protectors,” from the Standing Rock Sioux Nation to the shores of the Great Lakes. Their message is simple and urgent: Mni Wiconi, “Water is Life.” Youth leaders like Anishinaabe Water Rights Advocate, Autumn Peltier, have carried that call to the United Nations and beyond, reminding us that protecting water is protecting the future.
Unitarian Universalists honor the interdependent web of all existence. Our faith teaches that what harms one part of creation harms us all. When water is polluted, so too is our covenant. To live as people of faith is to defend life’s sacred flow, to cherish every drop as a thread in the great tapestry of being.
Stories of Water Protectors
Every action, from local activism to international advocacy, reinforces the truth that water protection is necessary for survival.
Standing Rock: The Indigenous-led resistance against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) at Standing Rock, North Dakota, brought the “Water is Life” movement to global attention, uniting tribes and allies to defend burial grounds and clean water sources.
Autumn Peltier: An Anishinaabe youth from Wikwemikong First Nation, Peltier has addressed the UN General Assembly multiple times, advocating tirelessly for clean drinking water and Indigenous water rights across Canada and globally.
Great Lakes Advocacy: Indigenous nations bordering the Great Lakes, which contain 20% of the world’s fresh surface water, actively fight pollution, invasive species, and diversion projects to safeguard these vital waters for future generations.
Mindful Practice
“Water is alive. Water remembers. Water is our first medicine.”
— Autumn Peltier
Each sip you take today is an invitation to gratitude. How does remembering that water connects you to all life, past and future, change your sense of responsibility toward it? Offer a simple prayer of thanks each time you pour or drink water today.
Learn More
- Film: The Water Walker (Autumn Peltier) – This short documentary trailer highlights the roots, passion, and perseverance of Autumn Peltier as she takes her advocacy for clean water and Indigenous rights to the United Nations.This video provides visual context for the work of activist Autumn Peltier, mentioned in the post.
- Organization: Water Protectors Legal Collective (WPLC) – The WPLC is an Indigenous-led legal nonprofit that provides legal support and advocacy for Indigenous Peoples, the Earth, and climate justice movements, often working on the front lines of resistance.
- Book: As Long As Grass Grows by Dina Gilio-Whitaker – This book offers a powerful history of Indigenous resistance to environmental injustice in the United States, providing a necessary lens for understanding the rise of the Indigenous-led environmental movement.
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