Ottawa River, ON

Hello my name is Harmony Eshkawkogan, I'm from Wiikwemkoong, I'm 25 years old and I'm currently living in Ottawa Ontario.

My watermark today is going to be the Ottawa River, because originally I'm from Manitoulin Island which is within and surrounded by the Great Lakes of Ontario, and being connected by and growing up around freshwater then coming down to the city, I really needed to stay connected within, having that nature connection to water really helps me feel connected back to my ancestors, to my culture. Especially because water is really important, it's referred to as the medicine for women, because when pregnant with babies we hold that water in our bellies and we're surrounded by it, so that's why it's really important for us to be protecting the water.

So when I first came to the city, and living off the reserve, I felt really disconnected being an urban youth coming off from the reserve, and walking along the riverside just really helped me stay connected to nature and reminded me of back home. And I just think we should start protecting the water here and all the animals living within it. Miigwetch.