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Lake Simcoe, Ont. – October 7, 2015 – Recently, UFCW Canada activists joined members from various First Nations in Ontario to participate in the 2015 Waawaasegaming Water Walk ceremony to raise awareness about the importance of clean water on our planet.

Waawaasegaming is the original name of the body of water known as Lake Simcoe, about 80 kilometers north of Toronto. The walk was led by women elders carrying a copper kettle full of water. They were accompanied by another elder carrying an eagle feather staff, as participants engaged in prayer and thanksgiving for the life-giving properties of water.

Over the course of nine days, supporters walked around the perimeter of Lake Simcoe – led by members of Indigenous communities on Ontario’s Georgina Island, in order to draw attention to the pollution and environmental threats to bodies of water around the world, and to raise funds for emergency response plans for accidental spills on the lake.

Throughout the nine days, the participants camped at parks around the lake, until the walk was completed. The walk culminated with a community Powwow featuring singing, dancing and food.

Organizers of the event are also very involved in the campaign calling for a national inquiry into the thousands of missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada.