'Water, We Love You, We Thank You, We Respect You'

Water, we love you.
We thank you.
We respect you.

Nibi (Water) Song was written by Doreen Day at the request of her grandson. She attended a conference about the water in which the internationally known speaker, Dr. Masaru Emoto said, the very least we should do every day, is to speak to the water.  Listen to the song, which is a prayer and a lullaby honoring water. 

On a sunny Sunday afternoon in mid-November, Grandmother Nancy Andry an elder of French and Algonquin heritage, led prayers on the shores of the Rio Grande in Albuquerque for the healing of New Mexico waters. She incorporated the Nibi Song into her prayers. New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light sponsored the gathering.

Grandmother Nancy is a Sundancer and Sacred Pipe carrier.  As an acknowledged Elder and Grandmother in her communities in Canada, she was given instruction to bring out and share certain teachings. .

Solidarity with Standing Rock
The prayers on that Sunday, November 13, were also offered in solidarity with activists from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe who are opposing the construction of a pipeline through their reservation.

Two weeks later, on Nov. 26, hundreds of people gathered at the front lines of to pray with the water, the earth, and a global community of supporters in over 1,000 location around the world

Several people from Albuquerque particpated in the Nov. 26 prayer  and others are on the way to North Dakota for the next big gathering,  which will take place this Sunday, Dec. 4, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time, 9:00 a.m. Mountain Time  This is a global synchronized prayer, so you don't have to be at the site to participate. Register here to gain access to the live broadcasts.  Participants will observe 30 minutes of silence followed by 30 minutes of prayer.  "This is a stand for our water, our earth, and our grandchildren," said organizers.

If you prefer to attend a local event, the Southwest Organizing Project and Frank Quintana from Blessed Oscar Romero Catholic Community are hosting Standing with Standing Rock on Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

(All photos courtesy of  Joan Brown, OSF)