Sacred Water Circle Vision:
Inspired by traditional Indigenous teaching and leading with hope and spiritual courage, the Sacred Water Circle sees a restored relationship between human communities and water.
Sacred Water Circle seeks to create dialogue around spiritually-based environmental issues, and to motivate communities and governments to act to set policy that will protect our water, by leading with prayer and walking together.
First initiated by Curve Lake visionary Dorothy Taylor, the Sacred Water Circle was formed in 2011 in response to a call from indigenous leaders worldwide to foster exchange and discussion, learn from one another and to build community around this important cause.
We consist of community volunteers from diverse cultural backgrounds, skills and spiritual beliefs with a common vision. Inspired by traditional Indigenous teachings and leading with hope and spiritual courage, the Sacred Water Circle sees a restored relationship between human communities and water.
Join the Sacred Water Gathering this May 2-4th 2014 to honor the sacredness of water with ceremony, keynote speakers, panel discussions, presentations, First Nations teachers, vendors, a traditional feast and other activities at Trent University Gzowski College, Petroglyphs Provincial Park and other locations in the Kawarthas. This dynamic three-day event is hosted each year by the Sacred Water Circle to bring together First Nations teachers and elders, with political leaders, students, youth, water researchers, those in the water industry and the broader community to focus on water awareness and solutions.
Our goals, as formalized in our synopsis:
- To incorporate Indigenous environmental knowledge and culture into decision making processes.
- To support policy changes that would promote healthy water systems.
- To share a spiritual perspective to empower individuals and organizations in their work for water.
- To work for attitudinal and behavioural changes using a wholistic approach that affects the protection of water for all, including future generations.
- To make connections among science, other ways of knowing, and traditional Indigenous knowledge around water.
- To engage and empower youth concerning water issues.
- To collaborate with other groups aligned with the SWC vision.
2014 Objectives
- To bring together the indigenous leaders who inspired the SWC initiative to the Kawarthas in order to host a significant world event on sacred water.
- To bring local and international leaders and speakers to the SWC gathering to share traditional teachings with the youth participants, government leaders, water quality scientists, industrial leaders, and community leaders.
- To catalyze positive action plans for community involvement in decisions making that affect the health of the water.
- To participate in ongoing collaborations with other local groups who have a focus similar to the SWC
- To share and promote inspirational and educational tools as a product of this significant event experience and share with other communities.
2013 Objectives
- To bring local leaders and speakers to the SWC Gathering to share traditional teachings with the youth, government leader, water quality scientist, industrial leader, and community leader participants.
- To engage the Gathering participants in meaningful dialogue towards policy initiatives that honour the sacredness of water.
- To create a forum for youth voices on issues such as the value of sacred water.
- To empower youth to take an active role in creating a sustainable future and healthy relationship with water/their watersheds.
- To bring together local groups that will work with the SWC to advance the SWC goals and objectives.
