Lakehead University Hosts Water Walk Ceremony in Thunder Bay to Promote Water Stewardship

The first event featured a talk on integrating Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge in psychology, perspectives on wellness, and the role of land-based activities in well-being.

The water walk was led by an elder. The ceremony honored water and aimed to raise awareness about protecting waterways. It emphasized building relationships with water, noting its role in healing and the challenges it faces from human activities. The elder stated that water is essential to life and highlighted the need to educate youth on water-related responsibilities and career opportunities.

Community members participated in the ceremony and described it as an important way to honor waters and act as environmental stewards, guided by an elder. They encouraged broader engagement in such events to understand the teachings and stories of local lands and their significance to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, as well as future generations.

The ceremony involved community members walking to care for the water, aligning with broader efforts to incorporate Indigenous practices in educational settings.

The event served as a brief experience of a water walk to raise awareness about protecting waterways. It served as the second part of a two-part speaker and experiential learning series on Indigenization, cultural health literacy, and increasing involvement of elders and Indigenous community members in academia.