The Brothertown Indian Tribe started their water walk around Lake Winnebago on Thursday June 17th and walked through the weekend.
Thursday started with a ceremony on the shores of Lake Winnebago where all participants were smudged. This smudging is done to bring good intentions to your eyes, ears, mouth, head, and heart. This was followed by offerings of tobacco, fruit, and water during which we sang Nibi Nagamowin (The Water Song) by Doreen Day.
From there, women went to the water and collected a bucket to carry during the walk. The water cannot stop moving forward. The water is passed from woman to women as they make their way around the lake. While the women carry the water, the men are walking alongside them or slightly behind them carrying a large staff with eagle feathers on top. The water and the staff are their own beings and are carried with pride and respect.
The women carrying the water carry do their best to always carry the water in their left hand as it is connected to our hearts. Women are also the only ones that can carry the water because they can carry life within them. As the water is handed off, the women cannot look backward because they always need to be looking forward in the walk an in life. As the water is handed off, the phrase we do this for the water is shared.
As walkers made their way around the lake, tobacco offerings were given to any water bodies they crossed or anything else they wanted to offer tobacco too. This could be animals dead on the road, trees, etc.
Individuals from around the state and from different agencies participated in this walk. Walkers were asked to traverse 3-5 blocks where they would then hand off the water and staff to the next set of walkers. Cars and walkers were then moved forward in a leap frogging fashion.
If you are interested in learning more about the Brothertown Indian Tribe, you can visit their website.
