Challenge #3

"The task is to host a gathering and share the information you have uncovered and learned so far..."

On Friday November 11th, 2016, a group of nine fellow physical cultural studies graduate students (Exercise Sciences at U of T) joined me in the Media and Motion Collaboratory* for a water gathering. We joined forces to discuss water and the conditions of the water crisis in Canada in relation to kinesiology, physical education and health. We also drank water that was infused with our positive thoughts and emotions, we ate various water-rich foods, listened to The Water Song (written by Doreen Day), and physically embodied the meaning of water. It was a celebration of water, life, and connection! I learned so much from the other graduate students, and I feel very honoured to have hosted such an insightful and thought-provoking gathering.

*Media and Motion Collaboratory is a physical cultural studies graduate student office in the Goldring: Centre for High Performance Sport building. It is a space for research and learning, and I am very thankful to have the opportunity to led the gathering in this space. As I now reflect on our discussions and the meaning(s) I extract from our gathering, I realize that the title of this room was very fitting for what we did as a group. We brought in media and motion to collaborate on our understanding(s) of water.

Here are some photographs of the gathering:

Water-rich foods:

Watermelon - 96% water

Cucumber - 96% water

Pineapple - 95% water

Blueberries - 95% water

Celery - 95% water

Tomatoes - 94% water

"Write a word on a cup that you would like water to embody, then pour water into that cup and drink it"

Courage ... Love ... Access ... Patience

Dr. Emoto's research on "The Hidden Messages in Water" inspired the infusion of positive thoughts and emotions into our water cups.

The wonderful, brilliant, intelligent and open-minded group of folks at the water gathering. (They are working on their pieces of reflection)

Thank-you for the insightful feedback, I have so much love for all of you!

The following is a reflection and summarization of the water gathering:

Reflection pieces are written in blue, italicized text

Summaries of what I said in the gathering are written in black text

As folks trickled into the room, I asked them to write a word on a clear cup of water that they wanted the water to embody. For example, I had written love on my cup, as well as love and gratitude on the jug of water on the table.

Once everyone had arrived and we went through a few housekeepings, I started the water gathering by acknowledging the land on which we gathered.

"Hi everyone! I would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, and most recently, the territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. This territory is also covered by the Upper Canada Treaties. Today, the meeting place of Toronto (from the Haudenosaunee word Tkaronto) is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and I am grateful to have the opportunity to work in the community, on this territory."

Following a proper land acknowledgment, I showed the group this quote by Josephine Mandamin. I included a depiction of Lake Superior in the background, as it was the setting for the first Mother Earth Water Walk.

"Josephine Mandamin and her sister Melvina Flamand are two Anishinaabe Grandmothers who started the Mother Earth Water Walk in 2002. They saw that the water was sick, and they wanted to find ways to help the water and get others to care about the water. So one morning, they decided to walk around Lake Superior. Since then, Mother Earth Water Walk has turned into a Water Walking movement across the Great Lakes and interconnecting waterways.

I participated in a Water Walk one day around Lake Simcoe and it changed my whole perspective of water and my research. I felt the water inside me change that day. It was a very spiritual, empowering water gathering that braided together many social justice issues around water, and truly demonstrated how we are all connected by water.

To start the Water Walk everyday, they sing The Water Song."

We played The Water Song and listened as a group. Initially, I wanted the group to try to sing the lyrics together, however, last minute I decided that it would be most appropriate for everyone to carefully listen to the song, and understand the story behind it.

"The Water Song was written by Doreen Day at the request of her grandson. She attended a conference about water, where Japanese scientist and water researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto said, the very least we should do every day, is to speak to the water.

Doreen and her grandson would pass a body of water everyday on the way to his school, and every time they passed the water they would say these words. One day he asked her “Nokomis, why don’t we sing the words, don’t you think the water would like to be sung?” So they made up a tune with the words, and sang to the water everyday after that. This song has been used to honor the spirit of water, and Doreen encourages everyone to sing this to the water everyday." (Mother Earth Water Walk, 2016)

The Water Song can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks5IIzYX3t8

I asked the group to complete their Watermark stories (by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper) before the gathering. The purpose of the Watermark Project is "to collect and archive Canadian water stories to demonstrate why swimmable drinkable fishable water matters" (Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, 2016). I wanted the group to think about a personal connection to a body of water, and why that waterbody was important to them. It was a way to engage personal understandings and appreciations of water before we came together as a group.

"I asked all of you to complete your watermark before today’s session. This activity was a way to get you thinking about your personal connections to water, by recalling a specific memory about you and a body of water."

I showed these photographs to the group (all of which belong to me), demonstrating the various spaces we can enjoy the sacred gift of water, and the joy water brings us when we are in and around it. I connected the emotions that we feel when we are around/in water to Dr. Masuro Emoto's research on water.

"Water and emotions have a unique relationship. Many people enjoy spending time either near or on the water... Have you noticed that being in a pool, sitting near a beach, being near a waterfall, or simply having a bath can change your attitude? After your morning shower you feel more alert? Fountains, water gardens, and ponds are used in homes to impart feelings of tranquility. Water is full of energy, it can relieve our stressful emotions, it can bring joy, happiness, and peace.

However, water doesn’t just influence our emotions – our emotions also have an effect on water. According to studies conducted by Dr. Masaru Emoto from The Hidden Messages in Water, our thoughts and emotions can change water’s molecular structure. He analyzed water crystals exposed to different emotions, music, and pictures. For example, he wrote different words on the water dishes, and watched how the water structure changed over time. When the water was exposed to positive emotions, such as love, gratitude, thank-you, the water crystals formed into beautiful symmetrical structures. In contrast, water crystals exposed to negative emotions, such as you fool, evil, you make me sick, the water crystals appeared deformed, jagged ugly looking shapes. What Dr. Emoto’s research shows us is that the vibrations of our thoughts, emotions and words, physically alter the structure of water. And we can use the power of water to improve our lives and the lives of others."

Above are photographs of Dr. Emoto's water crystals. The water was exposed to different emotions, positive emotions revealed beautiful structures, whereas negative emotions revealed deformed structures. I wanted to demonstrate to the group how our words, thoughts and emotions can alter the physical structure of water, and how we can use this knowledge to empower ourselves and others.

"Water brings us positive emotion – Go play in or be near the water in a way that has meaning for you. Whether it’s swimming at the AC or Hart House, sitting on the pool deck, going down to the Harbourfront, sitting near the goldfish pond at Massey College, just enjoy the gift of water in whatever way is meaningful for you, and be grateful for the pleasure it provides.

Water’s message is love and gratitude – Use water consciously when drinking it. Try infusing your drinking water with love and positive emotions. You can hold your hands around or over a glass of water and think thoughts of gratitude, joy, love and happiness before consuming. Or you can write these words on your water bottle to infuse it with those vibrations.

Water cleanses the soul – When showering or bathing, consciously think about cleansing your soul as you cleanse your body. As you feel the water flowing across your skin, visualize the water vapor moving through the layers of your skin, muscles, bones, veins, arteries, blood, and spirit, removing any debris or negative energy. Feel your body’s energy become cleaner, clearer and brighter as the water moves over you. Finally, as the water drains down the tub, give thanks for the cleansing and let the physical and psychic dirt be recycled by Mother Earth. Experiment and see what works for you. Water is a sacred gift to our planet, it is essential for us to live, and water gives us the power to flourish."

After talking to the group about the connection between water and our emotions, we began our first activity. I wanted everyone to think about words that embody water - what is the meaning of water for them, and how is that reflected in a 'water glossary':

"Write a list of words that you feel embody the meaning of water. This can be anything from what water is to what water symbolizes. (i.e. lake or love)"

Approximately 2 minutes later, we gathered as a group again, and I had the group share one word that they felt was the most important on their list. I wrote the words out on a big piece of paper, then I asked the group to share one more word to add to the list. Shown above is the word list we had created.

"I'd like everyone to share one word that you thought was the most important on your list... Is there one more word that you felt could be added to the list?"

Once our word list was created, I asked everyone to stand up and find enough space to move in, as we were now going to literally embody the words we felt embodied water. There really is no right/wrong way to do this, one may move or stay in silent poses, it is all about how your body feels when you hear the word. I then slowly called out words from our glossary (in no particular order), and participated and observed as everyone positioned themselves in different ways. We reflected afterwards as a group, and it was very clear that everyone embodied the meaning of water in different ways. To take away from this activity: we embody the meaning of words in different ways, and our complex identities, experiences and lives influence what is meaningful to us, why it is meaningful to us, and how it is meaningful to us.

"Everyone stand up, and make sure you have lots of space to move! I will go through each of the words, and the task is to embody what that word means to you (using your body).

Reflection: How did you feel during this exercise? What were some of the things that you noticed? Would you have done this differently if you were alone?"

Following the embodiment of water, we started discussing our relationships with water. I revealed the questions above one at a time, and gave everyone an opportunity to discuss their thoughts.

First, we discussed how we use water in everyday life. Uses ranged from drinking water consumption, brushing our teeth, washing our clothes, taking a shower, washing our dishes, how our clothes are made, how our food is made, industrial uses, fishing and recreational uses... The list goes on... It is clear that we use water in many more ways than we can comprehend, and that the use of water is deeply connected in everything that we do.

Then I revealed the next question, "How would your life change if you only had 1.5L of water/week?" I included this question based on a case study of Neskantaga, where community members have 1.5L of clean water/week to use (for everything, washing, drinking, brushing teeth....everything). Very quickly, it was clear that we would not be able to live our lives in the same way, and how many 'luxuries' we would have to give up because of a lack of access to clean water.

We turned our attention towards the quote, "What we do to water, we do to ourselves..." which is used in the Great Lakes Commons "Compass of Care" (2016) for the search of a water ethics. Our discussion circulated around how we are connected to water in everything that we do, and how water allows us to do the things that we want to do. Water gives us life, and water connects us all.

Once we discussed our relationship(s) to water, we switched gears to understand local waterbodys in Toronto. I told the group how we were fortunate to live in the "Nine Rivers City", and if anyone could name all 9 rivers in Toronto. It was a bit of a struggle, but, collectively, they managed to name 7/9 of the rivers! Everyone knew that the rivers connected to Lake Ontario, generally understanding how rivers flow into a larger, body of water.

However, not everyone was able to name their watershed: an area of land that catches rain, snow and drains or seeps into a marsh, stream, river, lake or groundwater (Conservation Ontario, 2016). To help figure out what watershed they belonged to, I switched slides to show a map of the watersheds in Toronto. For me, it was really interesting to see some folks connect to their watershed for the first time! Following in the steps of (Water and Social Justice) Professor Bonnie McElhinny, I found that connecting individuals to their watershed was a small and impactful activity to build stronger connections to water and appreciations to one's source of water in everyday life.

After finding out everyone's watershed, I asked what the group thought of the water quality in Toronto. There was an overwhelming agreement of "It's good! It's great! Clean, and safe!" I then re-framed the question and asked, "Would you fill up a cup from Lake Ontario and drink from it?" Hypothetical stories began to formulate and individuals started to think about why they might be enticed to do something like that, and how there would have to be no other option... There was discussion of how sick one would get from drinking the water untreated, and possibilities of death if you consumed too much... After this conversation, I asked again, "What do you think the overall quality of water is in Toronto?" and answers began to change. There was a realization of how privileged we are in the city to have proper water treatment infrastructure to provide safe, clean drinking water to citizens, and how many First Nations and Indigenous communities do not have adequate water infrastructure to clean their water resources. We also discussed why the water quality is so poor in First Nation and Indigenous communities, and how the pollution from human activities (from air conditioners to oil sands) flows into the water and into these communities. Remembering that water connects us all, it really showcases how what we do in Toronto can impact those in distant communities that we may never think about or acknowledge (until we start thinking about these connections...)

The final question touched on observations of changes in the water in Toronto. We talked about microplastics, pollution (litter, garbage, transportation, etc.), introduction of Pacific Salmon into the Humber River and the resulting impacts on the waterway, as well as "Safe to Swim" signs down at Ashbridge's Beach and Sunnyside Beach. Some folks had observed noticeable changes in the waterway, whereas others have just moved to the city and haven't lived here long enough to notice such changes.

1. Etobicoke Creek

2. Mimico Creek

3. Humber River

4. Don River

5. Highland Creek

6. Rouge River

7. Petticoat River

8. Duffins Creek

9. Carruthers Creek

(Harbourfront Centre, 2015)

Toronto Watershed Map (TRCA, 2016)

Above are resources I provided in advance of the session. I had asked the group to read 1) and watch 2), while 3) 4) and 5) were optional/supplementary materials to look at if they had enough time.

"I had asked everyone to read and watch these articles and videos before today’s session. I felt these resources did a good job showing what the water crisis looks like in Canada, how/why the conditions are the way they are, and how the water crisis connects to other environmental, political, social, and cultural issues."

After posing this question, there was an astounding "YES!" from the group... Canada's water crisis is an environmental, political, sociocultural issue.

Discussion of the major themes hovered around: racism, colonialism, environmentalism, access (lack of), First Nations and Indigenous issue, "Other", construction/structures of society, power and domination, resistance, and democracy

"How does the water crisis impact Canada's* populations and ecosystems?" We both directly and indirectly discussed this question throughout our entire session. It is clear that the water crisis severely impacts First Nations and Indigenous communities, but it also affects major cities, such as Toronto, as observed in local changes in the water. Overall, the water crisis has a negative impact on Canada's populations and ecosystems: disease, lack of access to safe, clean water, malnutrition, biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change.

*I recognize that not every individual living in Canada (Turtle Island) does not identify as Canadian, therefore I avoided using "Canadian" in this question.

"How does the water crisis connect to other environmental, political, social and/or cultural issues in Canada?" Based on the in-depth discussion sparked from this question, I do not feel I can summarize all of the insightful comments made. However, what I can say (confidently) is that everyone was able to connect the water crisis to another issue in Canada (and globally), which was all very reflective of how water connects us all, and how the many crises our planet faces are inextricably connected to water.

I welcomed the other students to think about these questions, and to find ways to educate and bring awareness to Canada's water crisis in not only KPE, but to friends and family as well. We want to create a ripple effect!

I asked the group to write a small reflection on how their perspectives may have changed after today's session... I was positively overwhelmed with the incredible feedback provided by everyone... Simply overjoyed to read the kind words, and to see the immediate impact today had on the group. I am very thankful to Waterlution for providing this challenge, and I am sincerely grateful to everyone who came out to participate in this challenge, for listening to the "Hidden Messages in the Water", for sharing your connections and relationship to water, and for opening your hearts to the spirit of water.

Thank-you, Meegwetch.

Shown below are the reflection pieces from 8/9 participants (one had to leave halfway due to other commitments):

“Not sure if it changed, but it was a good reminder of my connection to nature and my respect for it. And the humility that one must feel after recognizing that connection. Great job!”

“First Nations issue – didn’t realize this was such a big problem for them – assumed they had easy access!”

“I really began to understand the extent of the water crisis and just how important water is to all aspects of our life.”

“ - Learning about other folks’ perspectives and ideas.

- Passion about water.

- Feeling and reflecting on my understandings and real appreciation of water and my use of it… Thanks! :) ”

“I have to be more spiritual, emotional, or acknowledge others are about things I take for granted, like water. I still don’t like deep water.”

“You’ve politicized the water crisis/situation in Canada by using a case study of Aboriginal communities. I feel the connection and perspective is important. And also to connect to larger issues too. Thanks!”

“- The joining and explanation of pragmatic and spiritual in regards to water. - Appreciation for water and how much we have.”

“Congrats for the presentation! I did not know much about what was going on and your talk was therefore very enlightening. It will certainly make me re-think how I engage with water in the future.”

Endnote: A big thanks again to everyone who not only participated in this water gathering, but to those who helped me formulate my current (and ever changing) understandings of water, and how to connect others to the sacred, gift of water. I could not have done this without all of your invaluable teachings. Thank-you, Meegwetch.

References:

Conservation Ontario. (2016). Watersheds 101. Retrieved November 16, 2016, from http://watersheds101.ca/

Great Lakes Commons. (2016, September 12). A Compass of Care: searching for water ethics — Great Lakes Commons. Retrieved November 16, 2016, from http://www.greatlakescommons.org/our-blog-b/2016/9/a-compass-of-care-searching-for-water-ethics

Harbourfront Centre. (2015). Nine Rivers City | Visual Arts. Retrieved November 16, 2016, from http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/visualarts/nineriverscity/

Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. (2016, March 7). The Watermark Project — Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://www.waterkeeper.ca/blog/2016/1/13/the-watermark-project

Mother Earth Water Walk. (2016). The Water Song. Retrieved November 16, 2016, from www.motherearthwaterwalk.com/?attachment_id=2244

TRCA. (2016). Watershed Management - Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Retrieved November 16, 2016, from https://trca.ca/conservation/watershed-management/