“Keepers of the Water, an Indigenous-led, grassroots organization, originally began in the summer of 2006 with weekly traditional Ojibwe women’s teachings ending with a water ceremony on Gichigami (Lake Superior). We work mainly in a spiritual way, guided by sacred Ojibwe traditions, to protect the nibi (water).
In January 2007, the need to become official and act politically arose when we were asked to send a resolution (against a proposed metallic sulfide mine) to the governor. Since then, we have been actively working to protect the water in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and surrounding Great Lakes from metallic sulfide and uranium mining.”
Last month using an Indigenous Environmental Network/Western Mining Action Network Indigenous Mining Mini-Grant (funded by Oxfam America) along with other funding, Keepers of the Water, Yellowdog Summer and Students Against Sulfide Mining held the “Protect the Earth Summit” to voice their oposition to Metallic Sulfide and Uranium Mining, and to advocate for the honoring of Treaty Rights and the Protection of the land and water.