The Kinnickinnic River is called, Milwaukee's "Forgotten River". After over a century and a half later, Milwaukeee's oldest and newest Native migrators (Sturgeon) have never forgotten. This Water Walk is to show respect for the river and the Sturgeon trying to get home and renew commitments to new life.
This Water Walk is an Indigenous led event that brings together the mind, body and spirit. It that draws from the work of the late Josephine Mandamin, Wikwemikong First Nation and Anishinaabe grandmother. elder and a founding member of the water protectors movement. She was our original Water Walker, and you can be one too.
Every step we take on this walk will be about re-centering ourselves and renewing our commitment to ourselves and the natural world, a world very much alive and surviving in our urban environments. Along with this commitment comes an awareness that this is also a time when Sturgeon that had been replanted from the Wolf River into Milwaukee Waters, will be swimming upstream - as we walk downstream.
It has been 7 generations of human life since Sturgeon had been seen in Milwaukee Rivers. Now with conservation efforts, Sturgeon have returned. What kind of home will they return too is up to us.
Please remember, the Kinnickinnic River has been one of the most industrialized and heavily populated rivers in Wisconsin. The damage to the river can never be rectified, but we can continue the efforts to restore it to the best river possible for our neighborhoods, families and ancient relatives.
It is our goal to bring awareness to the incredible efforts of water quality improvement and the dedication that we can and must do more.
The walk will be 7.2 miles and will be done relay style. You walk as much or as little as you want, and we will have an electronic tracker if you'd like to us at some point in the walk. We estimate time of completion to be 8:30am. Total walk time, 2.5 hours.
Please join us, and continue to check into our site for updates posted throughout the weeks before we begin our walk at Sunrise.