A group of Indigenous women are leading a 340-mile, 12-day Nibi Water Walk along the James River on Monday to honor the river and pray for its health. The James River Unity Walk will begin at the headwaters of the James in Iron Gate, and follow its course to its mouth at the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton.
Led by Ojibwe elder Sharon Day, Nibi Walks are based in Ojibwe Ceremonial Water Teachings. Nibi is the Ojibwe word for water. Water Walks are extended ceremonies in which women carry a copper vessel of water collected from the headwaters of the river as they walk, pray and sing daily, from sunrise to sunset, to heal and honor the river.
“We want the Walk to be a prayer,” says Day. “Every step we take we will be praying for and thinking of the water. The water has given us life and now we will support the water.”
The James River Association has lent its support through connecting the Water Walkers with the river community throughout the James River basin to offer logistical assistance on their journey.
Though steeped in Ojibwe rituals and beliefs, the James River Unity Walk is open to public participation. Sign up to walk through the James River Unity Walk page on Facebook or contact Diane Stephenson at 757-269-9554. Donations are also being accepted to provide meals and lodging for the Water Walkers.
To contribute and to learn more about Nibi Walks, visit nibiwalk.org/donate.
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