'RIPPLE' CELEBRATES INDIGENOUS ART AND CLEAN WATER
Sept 15, 2026
By Water Over Nickel
More than 100 Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and community members gathered at Grand Casino Hinckley on August 2 for Ripple: A Contemporary Indigenous Arts and Fashion Experience.
Hosted by Water Over Nickel, the free event brought people together through fashion, visual art, conversation, and opportunities to reflect on a responsibility shared across generations: caring for the water that sustains us all.
"The Ripple event was all about celebrating water - Nibi. Nibi is life. Our relationship with water is part of our teachings and our identity," said Chief Executive Virgil Wind. "Water does not recognize reservation boundaries or county lines. What happens upstream will eventually affect families, communities, and the future generations throughout Minnesota. Our responsibility is to make sure the generations following us can drink clean water, harvest Manoomin, fish, gather medicines, and create art inspired by these places. Protecting our water is one way we can care for people we may never meet."
NIBI IN MOTION, ART IN ACTION
A central feature of the event was a fashion show debuting original collections by Mille Lacs Band designers Taria Rose Aubid and Adrienne Benjamin. The collections explore the relationships between water, identity, culture, and life.
Aubid presented Gibaamidiziwinanaan gah-pi-wenzikaamigak nibiikaaning: "Our life comes from where there is all the water." Her 10-piece collection explored the relationship between water and the plants, animals, and people who depend on it, weaving traditional Ojibwe artistic influences into contemporary and traditional fashion.
Benjamin presented Agawaatebiigisin: "It Is Reflected in the Water," a 10-piece collection celebrating the ways water shapes Anishinaabe life, art, movement, and identity. Inspired by reflection, color, and the natural world, the collection blended traditional Ojibwe aesthetics with contemporary Woodland fashion.
Both collections demonstrated how Indigenous artistry can be deeply rooted in tradition while continuing to evolve and carry stories forward.
A post-fashion show panel conversation moderated by Byron Ninham featured Mille Lacs Band Commissioner of Natural Resources Kelly Applegate, former District I| Representative Wendy Merrill, Aubid, and Benjamin. The discussion explored inspiration, storytelling, stewardship, and the connections between Indigenous art, water, and community.
RECOGNIZING YOUTH VOICES AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
The perspectives of Band Youth were also central to Ripple. An art exhibition featured original work from students in grades K-12 from Nay-ah-Shing, Onamia, Isle, McGregor, East Central, and Hinckley schools inspired by a Water Over Nickel theme. Submitted pieces included drawings, paintings, photography, beadwork, sculpture, digital art, and clothing.
Ripple was an opportunity to recognize community leaders who are protecting clean water. Charlie Lippert, Air Quality Specialist for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, received the Water Protector Award, and Commissioner Applegate and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe received Conservation Minnesota's 2026 Blazing Star Award for the Water Over Nickel initiative.
"Our choices have Ripple effects. Let's inspire our community and leaders to choose clean water," said Former District |I Representative Wendy Merrill, thanking attendees for their support. Merrill encouraged Band members to connect with newly elected District || Representative Raina Killspotted to carry this important work forward.
The Ripple event was made possible by the community members who showed up to support clean water and the artists, models, students, schools, panelists, MBLO Drum Circle, Mille Lacs Band Department of Natural Resources team, Grand Casino Hinckley team, and many others who participated and showcased their talents.
"Ripple illustrated water protection in action: community members coming together, young people sharing their vision, and artists using their gifts to remind us how deeply water connects all of us," said Commissioner Applegate. "Clean water is something we cannot replace. The choices we make today will have Ripple effects. It is our responsibility to make sure future generations can continue to drink clean water, harvest Manoomin, fish, gather medicines, and maintain their relationships with these places."
SUPPORT CLEAN WATER PROTECTION: PARTICIPATE IN THE TAMARACK MINE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
Ripple took place within the public comment period for the proposed Tamarack Mine. The public comment period, which runs from July 14 - September 14, is a formal part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources environmental review process for the proposed mine. State agencies must review and consider public comments as they decide whether and under what conditions projects like the proposed Tamarack Mine can move forward.
This is a unique opportunity for Band members and Minnesotans to influence how decisions are made about this project and our water.
"You do not need to be a technical expert," said Commissioner Applegate. "Sharing your lived experience, concerns, and values is just as important as scientific data. When Minnesotans speak up together, we show that caring for our water is everyone's responsibility."
Visit WaterOverNickel.com to submit a public comment by September 14 and help protect Minnesota's clean water.
