Nibi Highway Signs
Eight signs were designed to direct awareness to the sacredness of nibi (water), and remind travelers of the shared responsibility to respect and honor nibi in all forms throughout the year. These signs, placed along highways in each of the four directions, serve as powerful symbols for connectedness to nibi, and underscore our collective commitment to water stewardship. Visit our Nibi Portal to learn more.
NIBI Declaration of Treaty #3
Oral Translation of the Nibi Declaration by Howard Copenace:
The development of a water declaration would ensure that Treaty #3 Anishinaabe Nibi Inakonigaawin (water law principles) are recorded and formally recognized in governance processes. The declaration will guide GCT3 Leadership in the creation of future policy and decision-making processes that relate to water. Another component of the declaration is to inspire people to take action to protect water through the development of a toolkit that contains curriculum based learning tools and information on how to get involved in the further development of this important work.
“This knowledge will be preserved and shared through the declaration with our youth and future generations,” said Women’s Council member Priscilla Simard. “Anishinaabe-Ikwewag have a sacred responsibility to NiBi and should be included in all decision-making around nibi. This declaration will guide us in our relationship with NiBi so we can take action individually, in our communities and as a nation to help ensure healthy, living NiBi for all of creation.”
With the declaration in hand, the Women’s Council will forge ahead with this important work of honouring Nibi throughout the Anishinaabe Nation of Treaty #3. An exercise that has seen the Nibi Declaration received through ceremony at the National Spring Assembly and will be distributed to all communities at the National Fall Assembly 2019.
“This declaration is vital for the physical and spiritual health of our Treaty #3 communities, our land, our families and future generations,” said Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh. “When I was approached with the original model of this declaration, I had a vision that instructed me to tell the people that water is precious and it can give life but water can also be dangerous and can take life. The Nibi Declaration is a way for Treaty #3 to explain the Anishinaabe relationship to water. This Declaration is about respect, love, and our sacred relationship with nibi and the life that it brings. It is based on Gitiizii m-inaanik teachings about nibi, aki/lands, other elements (including air and wind) and all of creation. This knowledge will be preserved and shared through the declaration with our youth and future generations.”
As Anishinaabe Kwe, the Women’s Council have responsibilities which includes child care and water. Isobel White (Naotkamegwanning – Whitefish Bay), Priscilla Simard (Couchiching), Maggie Petiquan (Wabauskang), Rhonda Fischer (Niisaachewan – Dalles), Anita Collins (Seine River) are representatives from the four directional governance. The Women’s Council worked together with the Territorial Planning Unit and Decolonizing Water.
Nibi Declaration Toolkit
This Toolkit will provide you with information on how you, your family and your community can support the Nibi Declaration of the Anishinaabe of Treaty #3.
Inside this Toolkit you will learn how the GCT3 Women’s Council started the process to create a Treaty #3 Nibi Declaration with a research support team, and have met with other knowledge keepers/Gitiizii m’inaanik to receive guidance on how to proceed with community engagement. There are also summaries of meetings that have been held to date, the proposed process for the development of the Declaration, examples of other water declarations, and plans for ways to implement the Nibi Declaration.