Say the Names...
Al Purdy wrote a wonderful poem called "Say the names say the names" which celebrates the names of Canadian rivers - Tulameen, Kleena Kleene, Similkameen, Nahanni, Kluane and on and on in a celebratory song.Enbridge is planning to build a dual pipeline that will carry bitumen and condensate across hundreds of waterways between Edmonton and Kitimat. Some of these waterways are rivers like the Parsnip (or what's left of it), the Nechako, the Morice and others are smaller creeks whose names are often known only to the folks who live along their banks or who fish in their shadows or who bend to wash or drink as they cross paths.I want to collect the names of these rivers and creeks, to collect your stories, your poems, your songs so we can collectively give voice to the land living under the line Enbridge plans to draw.People have also sent me copies of their presentations to the community oral presentations. If you'd like to add your voice, email me (sheila.peters900@gmail.com) your stories and I'll post them for you. The copyright remains with you.
All the best.
Sheila Peters
It's time to pause and celebrate. Victories on environmental issues are not that common and it’s
important that we celebrate when we do get one. Please join the Friends of Morice-Bulkley on Sunday,
January 8, to celebrate the end of the Enbridge Northern Gateway
Pipeline project.
As you may have noticed reading the later entries here, Lelu Island remains a serious threat to the people and salmon who make their home in the greater Skeena Watershed. Many of us who came together to stop the Northern Gateway project are still working to keep the mouth of this great river intact.
But I feel Say the Names has done what I hoped it would do. In 2017, I'll be moving my focus to one small part of the watershed, namely Driftwood Creek. I've lived beside the creek for coming up forty years now and I'm planning to create a long and winding love letter celebrating its unique nature and giving thanks for the nurture it has given me and my family during those years.
To keep in touch, you can follow that journey at my website.
Have a wonderful 2017!
