Josephine Mandamin (Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory)

Josephine Mandamin
Died	2019
Years in Thunder Bay	as of 2013
Occupation	environmentalist and Grandmother

Josephine Mandamin was an Anishinabek Grandmother and environmentalist.

In Anishinabek News

• Home community: Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory
• April 2013: She has conducted walks around all five Great Lakes and from the four directions of North America to raise awareness about water. The Aboriginal Water and Wastewater Association of Ontario honoured her at a conference in Sault Ste. Marie with an annual award in her name.
• September 2013: Josephine Mandamin is the subject of the documentary Water Journey, which opened the second day of the 2013 festival. In 2011, she walked from Hudson Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean to the Great Lakes to raise awareness about water.
• September 2013: Josephine Mandamin is the grandmother of Rhiannon Magiskan, who attended a health camp in Thunder Bay in 2013. The article identifies Josephine Mandamin as a Waterwalker.
• October 2014: In October 2014, she provided sacred water teachings to youth representatives gathered at Lake Simcoe. She shared traditional knowledge during a weekend workshop held from October 17 to 19, 2014. Her teachings inspired participants to advocate for the safety of water for future generations.
• November 2015: She prays for the water every day and understands its importance. Autumn Peltier identified her as an inspiration for her own environmental advocacy during a 2015 speech.
• February 2016: She was named a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation in February 2016. She has walked the shorelines of the five Great Lakes and in all four directions of Turtle Island to advocate for water protection. She has traveled a distance equivalent to half of the earth's circumference while carrying a copper vessel of water. She has worked to raise awareness about pollution, fracking, water laws, and the commercial sale of water.
• June 2016: She described the decision to allow water diversion to Waukesha as terrible news that establishes a negative precedent. She emphasized that Anishinabek people have a sacred responsibility to care for the Great Lakes. She has walked over 10,000 miles along various lakes and rivers to advocate for water protection.
• October 2016: She performed a water ceremony to open the Northern Ontario First Nation Environment Conference in October 2016. She emphasized the importance of daily water offerings and noted that water walks are occurring globally in places like Finland, Switzerland, and Japan. She lives in Thunder Bay and advocated for clean water access for people across the world. As of October 2016, she noted that people are performing water walks in the Great Lakes area.
• January 2017: She visited Nbisiing Secondary School in December 2016 to share teachings about protecting and honouring water. She has walked the perimeter of all the Great Lakes in Canada, a distance of over 16,800 kilometres. She spoke about the necessity of returning to traditional ways of living to ensure the protection of water sources.
• February 2017: She has walked extensively to protect water and advised Cecile Hookimaw that there were lessons to be learned at Standing Rock.
• March 2017: She walked around the Great Lakes twice to highlight the environmental condition of lakes and rivers. She advocated for collective action to protect water for the benefit of future generations. She has traveled across Turtle Island to bring attention to the state of various bodies of water.
• May 2017: As of May 2017, she and her helpers were making their final Great Lakes Water Walk. The Anishinabek Nation recognized her for her dedication and perseverance in protecting the water.
• September 2017: She assisted with a Pipe Ceremony, the Lighting of the First Fire, and the Offering during the opening of Nishnaabe-gkendaaswin Teg. She led the Great Lakes water walk from 2003 to 2009. As of September 2017, she was conducting a water walk with Wahnapitae First Nation. She expressed satisfaction that the university recognized the importance of ceremonial spaces.
• November 2017: She is the aunt of Autumn Peltier and inspired her niece's advocacy through her own extensive water walks. In 2003, she began walking around Lake Superior to raise awareness about water sanctity and eventually walked around all the Great Lakes. Her efforts were motivated by a prophecy warning of a future where clean water would become scarce and expensive.
• May 2018: She delivered a keynote address on the sacredness of water at a wellness conference in Thunder Bay in May 2018. Since 2003, she has led water walks around the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, and across Turtle Island. She emphasized that water walking should be a spiritual rather than political activity.
• March 2019: She taught Autumn Peltier about water since Peltier was a young girl. She walked around all five Great Lakes and the length of the St. Lawrence River. She began her water walks in 2003 with a walk around Lake Superior. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• May 2019: She led numerous water walks across North America to raise awareness about the declining health and pollution of water bodies. She inspired the creation of the Junior Water Walker program and the children's book The Water Walker. She was remembered by fellow walkers for her kindness, her emphasis on the power of prayer, and her role as a maternal figure. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• June 2019: The late grandmother was the previous Anishinabek Nation Chief Water Commissioner and the great-aunt of Autumn Peltier. The Anishinabek Nation established Great Lakes Day on April 22 to honour the water protection work she performed during her life. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• July 2019: She was the mother of Regina Mandamin. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• August 2019: She was one of the 15 women featured in a 2019 biographical exhibition at GALLERY6500. She is the late aunt of Autumn Peltier. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• October 2019: She founded the Mother Earth Water Walks and walked around all of the Great Lakes more than once. She served as a mentor to her great-niece Autumn Peltier and dedicated her life to the sacredness of water. She is remembered for her lifetime commitment and sacrifices to create awareness of the sacredness of water. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• November 2019: She was inducted into the Thunder Bay Women's History Month online exhibit on October 31, 2019. Between 2003 and 2017, she walked a distance comparable to more than half the way around the world to bring awareness for water. She worked at various organizations in Thunder Bay for more than 40 years to serve the public and help improve the lives of Indigenous people. She was a residential school survivor who received awards for Indigenous leadership, reconciliation, and water protection work. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• November 2019: A traditional Blanketing Ceremony was held in November 2019 to honour her memory and her life's work protecting water. She was a citizen of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory who served as a leader for the Great Lakes Guardians' Council. She advocated for the sacredness of water and served as the Chief Commissioner of the Anishinabek Nation Women’s Water Commission. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• December 2019: She inspired the creation of the Junior Water Walkers initiative after meeting with students in Thunder Bay. She shared her experiences walking to raise awareness for the need to protect water and taught students that water has a soul. Her life and work are the subject of the book Nibi Emosaawdang/The Water Walker by Joanne Robertson. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• July 2020: She is recognized for bringing waters together to Lake Superior. Her dedication to protecting water involved going through three knees and eleven pairs of shoes. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• February 2022: A school in Pickering is being renamed Biidassige Mandamin Public School to honour her legacy as a water protector. She served as the executive director of the Ontario Native Women's Association and Beendigen Inc. and was a leader in the Three Fires Midewiwin Healing Society. Originally from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, she led numerous Water Walks around the Great Lakes to raise awareness about water protection. She was a fourth degree Midewiwin and held a Grandmother Council role in the Midewiwin Lodge. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• September 2022: She led her final Water Walk in 2017, which served as an inspiration for subsequent walks in the Thunder Bay area. She provided advice and support to Sheila DeCorte regarding the spiritual protocols for conducting four years of ceremonies. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• January 2023: The estate of the late leader issued a statement in December 2022 regarding the unauthorized use of her name, image, and legacy. She was a mentor who ceremonially trained Anishinaabe-Kwewag to conduct the Mother Earth Water Walk. As a leader in the Midewiwin Society, she ensured the spiritual integrity of the Mother Earth Water Walk ceremony was maintained by her principal Water Walkers. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• February 2024: She participated in sessions with the Great Lakes Guardian Council regarding the living spirit of water and the role of women as water keepers. Her teachings on the importance of water influenced initiatives to protect the Great Lakes. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• May 2024: She began walking the Great Lakes in 2003 to raise awareness for water protection. She inspired the creation of a local water walk in Wasauksing First Nation during a pipe ceremony with a student and Deina Bomberry. The community of Wasauksing Kinomaugewgamik regards her as a significant teacher and grandmother. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• June 2024: She served as the Anishinabek Nation Chief Water Commissioner and walked over 25,000 kilometres to raise awareness of water pollution. On June 18, 2024, Canada Post unveiled a postage stamp in Thunder Bay featuring her image as part of the Indigenous Leaders series. She was a fourth-degree Midewiwin in the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge and initiated a global movement of water walks before her death in 2019. She attended an Indian Residential School where she secretly spoke Anishinaabemowin with Shirley Williams.
• July 2024: She led a 2017 walk from Duluth to Matane. Her message to other women was to continue the work of walking for the water. She was assisted by Sharon Manitowabi during her final walk in 2017. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• September 2024: A Canada Post stamp was unveiled in her honour in Thunder Bay on June 18, 2024. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• April 2025: She was honored during a session titled Water Walks: Honouring Josephine’s Legacy at the Anishinabek Nation Water Consortium. She was a Grandmother Water Walker who began her work after receiving a vision in a dream. Her contributions were recognized by Jeanette Corbiere Lavell as essential to the roles of Indigenous women. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• August 2025: She inspired Sheila DeCorte to begin local water walks after they walked together in 2017. Water walkers across Turtle Island committed to continuing her work of protecting and honouring water. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• January 2026: She initiated the Water Walks around the five Great Lakes, creating a global movement. Her work and vision regarding treaties and wampum belts were discussed by Isaac Murdoch and Andrew Mandamin in 2026. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).
• April 2026: She prompted Sheila DeCorte to create a water Jingle Dress before her passing in 2019. She requested Jingle Dress dancers to perform a healing dance for her during her illness.
• September 2026: She is credited with founding the modern water walk movement and established the teachings followed by current walkers. She led her final water walk in 2017. Her legacy is honoured by participants of the All Nations Grand River Water Walk who carry water in a copper pail. The article refers to this person as deceased (no date of death is given).