Autumn Peltier facts for kids

Autumn Peltier (born September 27, 2004) is a young Indigenous rights activist from the Wikwemkong First Nation in Ontario, Canada. She is known for speaking up about the importance of clean water. In 2019, she was given the special title of Chief Water Commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation. When she was just 13 years old, Autumn spoke to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly about protecting water.

Autumn Peltier's Early Life

Autumn Peltier grew up on Wiikwemkong First Nation on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada. Manitoulin Island is the biggest freshwater island in the world. Autumn learned early on how important water is and why it needs to be protected.

She started speaking up for the right to clean drinking water when she was very young. She wanted everyone to know about water rights and make sure communities had safe water. By age eight, Autumn was already going to water ceremonies with her First Nation.

At one ceremony, she saw signs of "toxic" drinking water. This was caused by things like pipeline leaks and pollution. When her mom told her that the community had a 20-year boil-water advisory, Autumn was very surprised. This experience made her want to become a water protector, and she started taking part in water ceremonies all over Ontario.

Autumn continues to work for clean water access for Indigenous peoples across Canada. She also speaks out about other important issues facing Indigenous people, including their history and the need for a better future for younger generations.

Autumn's great-aunt, Josephine Mandamin, was a big inspiration for her. Josephine was a well-known clean water activist and was the Chief Water Protector for the Anishinabek Nation. After Josephine passed away in 2019, Autumn was given this important title.

Why Water is So Important to Autumn

Autumn Peltier believes that water is very special, especially in Indigenous cultures. She says:

In my culture, my people believe that water is one of the most sacred elements. It's something we honour. It is a living organism. My people believe that when we're in the womb, we live in water for nine months and our mother carries us in the water. As a fetus, we learn our first two teachings: how to love the water and how to love our mother. As women, we're really connected to the water in a spiritual way. We believe that we're in ceremony for nine months when we carry a baby. Another way to look at it is that water is the lifeblood of Mother Earth, and Mother Earth is female.

Autumn strongly believes that women have a special role in protecting water. She explains that when babies are in the womb, they learn to love water and their mother. Because of this, women are deeply connected to water in a spiritual way.

The Power of Young People

Autumn also believes that young people can make a big difference. She supports other young activists working together to create change. She feels that young people will make important decisions for their countries in the future.

Autumn has sometimes felt frustrated that young people have to fix problems created by older generations. But she also feels good about her own work and seeing other young people step up. Autumn has worked with the Dreamcatcher Charitable Foundation to help provide water to over 500 homes in First Nations communities. This partnership is one of the biggest efforts to help Indigenous communities that is not funded by the Canadian Government.

Fighting for Environmental Justice

A big part of Autumn's work is fighting for environmental justice. She talks about how First Nations communities in Canada face challenges like environmental racism when it comes to water rights. Autumn believes that the needs of Indigenous peoples are often ignored because they are Indigenous.

She points out the unfair differences in how Indigenous people are treated compared to non-Indigenous Canadians. First Nations citizens often face unfair treatment, while white Canadians in remote areas are never denied access to water.

Autumn's Water Advocacy and Impact

When Autumn was 12, she became known nationally and internationally. This happened at a 2016 meeting where she met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She gave him a copper water pot and spoke to him about his promises regarding water protection. She also questioned his support for pipelines.

She told him:

"I'm very unhappy with the choices you made and broken promises to my people...I don't think he should have made that promise, because now I'm going to hold him accountable."

Later, Autumn said she wondered how people could trust Prime Minister Trudeau. She pointed out that he approved the building of the Kinder-Morgan pipeline even after a big oil spill in British Columbia.

Autumn's actions inspired the Assembly of First Nations to create a special fund called the Niabi Odacidae fund. She gained more attention when she spoke at the Global Landscapes Forum in New York City in September 2018. There, she spoke to the United Nations and other important decision-makers. This helped her spread awareness for her cause around the world. Autumn was also invited to speak at the United Nations Secretary-General's Climate Action Summit in New York in both 2018 and 2019.

"We can't eat money or drink oil"

Autumn is active on social media and often shares her message on international news. She has over 200,000 followers and uses her platforms to raise awareness about Indigenous issues and water rights. She gets support from young people, politicians, and other activists. She has brought a lot of attention to the lack of clean drinking water in Indigenous communities in Canada.

In April 2019, Autumn was named the Chief Water Commissioner by the Anishinabek Nation. This role was previously held by her great-aunt, Josephine Mandamin. At the time, Chief Glen Hare of the Anishinabek Nation said it was an easy choice because "Autumn has extensive nibi giikendaaswin (water knowledge). She has been bringing global attention to the water issues in our country for a few years now." As Chief Water Commissioner, Autumn represents 39 First Nations in Ontario and shares their concerns with the Anishinabek Council.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Autumn spoke about how important clean water access became for First Nations communities. She believes that the global response to the pandemic shows that it's possible to solve the drinking water crisis for First Nations in Canada.

On September 29, 2022, Autumn Peltier's petition asking for clean water solutions was mentioned in the Canadian Parliament. The petition has over 112,000 signatures and continues to grow.

Awards and Recognition

Autumn Peltier has received many awards for her important work:

• Top 3 Finalist for The 2022 International Children's Peace Prize
• Nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize, 2017, 2018, 2019.
• Canadian Living Me to We Award Youth in Action under 12, 2017.
• Ontario Junior Citizens Award, Ontario Newspaper Association, 2017.
• Sovereign Medal of Exceptional Volunteerism, by Governor General of Canada and Lieutenant Governor Of Ontario, March 2017
• Ottawa Riverkeeper Award, 2018.
• Water Warrior Award at the Water Docs Film Festival in Toronto, 2019.
• Young Leader Award, Ontario Municipal Social Services Association Award, 2019.
• Named Top 30 under 30 in North America for Environmental Education making a difference, 2019.
• Named to the BBC 100 Women list for 2019.
• Named to Maclean's list of 20 to Watch in 2020.
• Named to Huffington Post's list of 15 Canadian Icons Who Stole our Hearts in 2019.
• Named to the Union of Concerned Scientists list of 2019 Science Defenders.
• Named as a Chatelaine 2019 Woman of the Year.
• "Planet in Focus" Rob Stewart Youth Eco-Hero, 2019.
• Feature in Short Documentary Film The Water Walker, 2020
• RevolutionHer Community Vision Youth Award, 2021
• Canada Walk of Fame, Community Hero Award, 2023

See also

In Spanish: Autumn Peltier para niños