Earlier this week I wrote about World Water Day and blah-blahed about the named theme of groundwater. I thought it was a fairly good blog entry but honestly I wouldn't write any of them if I didn't feel the subjects were important and that we would benefit from reflecting on them from a Christian perspective.
Then on Thursday I listened to an Indigenous lawyer speaking about the $8 billion class action settlement she was instrumental in negotiating. A portion of that historic settlement will go to the 100,000 Indigenous persons who were represented in the suit. Billions will go to improve infrastructure in First Nations communities, including the 50 to 60 which have been living under Boil Water Advisories or Drinking Water Advisories. If you search the latter term you will arrive at the Government of Canada website which claims that the number advisories is actually down to 34, in 29 communities, but that total fluctuates and it is still far too many.
The list of communities where drinking water advisories have been lifted are essentially all Indigenous which is such a reminder that our supposed colonial past is still a part of the present reality for many. And I was unpleasantly surprised to see that one of the communities is the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte which is just a few kilometres from our home, where I never give thought to the cleanliness of the water I drink. That advisory was lifted on March 15, 2022, just a few days ago.
The exhibit at the McMichael Gallery in 2019-20 called Uprising: The Power of Mother Earth introduced us to the powerful work of artist Christi Belcourt. There is considerable variety to her work but the sacredness of water is essential. I appreciate her feelings about the destructive legacy of Christian institutions for Indigenous peoples yet as I appreciated the spirituality of her painting and prints the imagery of Christ as Living Water in the gospel of John. I am convinced that we have so much to learn from Indigenous peoples around the planet when it comes to the sacredness of H2O.
What the Sturgeon Told Me -- Christi Belcourt
No comments:
Post a Comment