The Indigenous Liberation Walk will take place between February 16 and March 1 in South Africa. About a dozen Indigenous people will walk a 1,000 kilometre route between Victoria West and Cape Town over a 14 day period.
This year will be the sixth walk for the Khoe, Nama and San people. Khoisan refers to the Khoi (or more specifically Khoikhoi, formerly known as Hottentots) and the San (or Bushmen) of Southern Africa.
Myiingan Kwe, a member of the Beausoleil First Nation in Ontario, writes, “Asking all First Nations people, water walkers, Site 41 family members and all supporters of Indigenous Rights to say a prayer on February 18 for the Khoisan people of South Africa who will walking with the Site 41 water in their annual liberation walk for human rights, in the midst of the impending Cape Town Water Crisis.”
Cape Town, a city of 3.7 million people, is expected to run out of drinking water on April 12, which has been given the term Day Zero.
In 2009, the Council of Canadians joined with Indigenous and community allies in a successful campaign in Simcoe County, about 150 kilometres north of Toronto, to stop the Site 41 garbage dump from being built on the Alliston aquifer which is the source of some of the most pristine water anywhere in the world.
Cape Town-based Eyewitness News has reported, “The group says although the South African government signed the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, they are still waiting for them to be implemented. The group plans to deliver a memorandum to Parliament.”
A short video about the walk can be seen here.
#indigenousliberationwalk #freedomuniters