LAKE SUPERIOR
WALK TO REMEMBER

THE WALK IS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED!



He' all, it's just after 1 a.m. here in Bad River; and I wanted to share with you the success of today as we closed the circle begun in June. The Walk to Remember around Lake Superior has been an experience beyond mere words, but I will try and share some things with you.

About the time we were in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, we started hearing that this historic, momentuous journey carrying on the legacy of Walt Bresette, had become far more than we, living together in tents, a nomadic village, could have comprehended. We were told that we were being called "the sacred walkers," a concept that was beyond our simple lives, and our daily challenges as we moved that precious eagle staff forward.

We had our own life within that village, our own internal rhythms, our own work, our challenges as we celebrated ceremonies morning and evening, as we walked, no matter what the weather. Along the way, we have been gifted with so much, from the love, smiles, hugs, food, prayers, and caring of so many.

On the night of our last talking circle, before we walked into the Bad River pow wow grounds, I said that when I left home, I told people that I was from Oklahoma, where the headquarters of the Delaware Tribe of Indians was. But now, that has changed. Now, I, like my brothers and sisters, have been on this Walk to Remember....and now, forever, we are from the Village of the Remembering People. As we walked Lake Superior, we left offerings of tobacco, cloth, and coins, as well as our prayers and those of so many others, all around this lake. And now we have left behind, spiritually, a circle of living fire that grew from heart and spirit, a circle that today was closed and now glows, completed, and strong.

That fire, one of love, dedication, strength, Native traditions, and a coming together of red, white, yellow, black, of all peoples who share Turtle Island, will live forever. We now know that other things will grow from this walk; for this fire, although invisible to the physical eye, is one of spirit and heart; is one of the coming forward of the old ways into today, the beginning of a new beginning. Megwitch to all who supported us, with love, prayers, and in so many ways. And now let us all look forward to further work to protect Lake Superior, and our mother Earth, and our beloved Turtle Island.



This walk was lived as a sacred journey around Lake Superior to bring forth community visions to protect the air, land and water for the Seven Generations yet to come.

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. For many people, it is an important source of food, livelihood and drinking water. Lake Superior is also an important part of the spirituality of the Anishinabeg as passed down by our ancestors and oral histories. It is now threatened due to contamination, global warming caused by over-development, and a growing, global water crisis that further threatens the sanctity of its waters and many life forms that depend on it, including, people.

"A Walk To Remember" is a journey around Lake Superior that is being coordinated by a group of people from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ontario, and Michigan. The idea was borne out of a gathering in Sault Ste. Marie, in April of 1999, when Native and Non-Native people met to discuss issues pertaining to the Great Lakes. This walk, this journey, is the result of people's dreams and visions that were brought forward at this meeting. It is also an effort to carry out the visions concerning the connections between Great Lakes sustainability and what Native peoples' spirituality, culture, and sovereignty, have to offer for its future, as voiced by the late activist, Walt Bresette, a Lake Superior Chippewa from the Red Cliff Reservation, in northern Wisconsin, who passed away in February of 1999. "We need to bring all the people of Lake Superior together," he often said. "We need to talk to each other about what is happening in our villages and our communities, to share our experiences, our concerns, and our hopes for the future. We need to meet our neighbors and learn from them."

This summer, the 1200 mile journey will begin on the south shore of Lake Superior at Waverly Beach on the Bad River Reservation at sunrise on June 28, 2000. It will then continue on to the Fourth of July Pow-Wow at the Red Cliff Reservation. The journey will end full-circle at the Bad River Pow-Wow in late August.

This walk is also a spiritual journey, a pilgrimage, a healing journey, to undo some of the damage done to Mother Earth and her waters, and to bring healing to her people by communicating and listening to one another.

Enroute we will seek to meet and learn from all who know and understand the waters, beaches, forests, hills, routes, commerce, communities, and spirit of the lake. It will be a journey that transcends the notions of borders and boundaries. We will seek to bring people together in a common community of sharing and insight. We will make note of what we hear, see and feel. We will conscientiously carry what we learn and share it with each new person and every community that we visit. Almost simultaneously, "A Walk To Remember" will be reproduced on the internet to share the sights, sounds and ideas from Lake Superior to the rest of the world.

As the journey progresses around the lake, some common stories and themes will emerge. By late summer, after every village and community has been visited, and all who have wanted to be heard have been heard — the walk will end, where it began, on the Bad River Reservation. The journey will carry back many common stories, themes, purposes, concerns, and visions that will have been revealed and carried forward.

It is hoped that from the walk, a set of common principles, commitments and standards can be realized towards a common vision that ensures all that is special about Lake Superior will be protected and nurtured for present and future generations. Please join us on this once in a lifetime journey for the Seven Generations yet to come.

For further information about how you can participate or help in making "A WALK TO REMEMBER" contact one the organizers. Donations small and large will be appreciated and may be sent to Anishinabe Ogitchidda, %Northern State Bank, P.O. Box 617, Ashland, WI 54806



The information above was taken from the first Walk to Remember website listed below. Included is a link to the "7th Generation" amendment penned by Chippewa Walt Bresette, whose memory is honored in this walk.

Links to Walk To Remember

WALK PHOTOS, STORIES, & UPDATES

A Walk to Remember
A Walk to Remember, A Sacred Journey
7th Generation Amendment
Map for a Walk to Remember

Return to Indian Territory:
the Index or Environmental Justice
Quick Links



Aug. 27, 2000
Indian Territory copyright 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000.