Autumn Peltier

Autumn Peltier (born September 27, 2004) is an Anishinaabe Indigenous rights advocate from the Wikwemkong First Nation on Manitoulin Island. She was named Chief Water Commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation in 2019. In 2018, at the age of thirteen, Peltier addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on the issue of water protection.

Early life Peltier was born and raised on Wiikwemkong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada. The Manitoulin Island is the largest freshwater island in the world. She attended St. Mother Teresa High School and currently lives in Ottawa. Peltier grew up understanding the importance of water and the need to protect it. She began advocating for the universal right to clean drinking water at a very early age, raising awareness towards water rights and ensuring communities have access to clean, safe and reliable drinking water. By the age of eight, Peltier was attending water ceremonies on First Nation. At one particular ceremony in Serpent River First Nation in Ontario, she witnessed warning signs of "toxic" drinking water, caused by factors such as pipeline leaks and pollution. This experience served as a catalyst for Peltier's work as a water protector, and she soon began partaking in water ceremonies across Ontario.

Much of Peltier's inspiration and early knowledge comes from her great-aunt Josephine Mandamin, a well-known activist for clean water and the previous Chief Water Protector for the Anishinaabek Nation, a title awarded to Peltier after Mandamin's death in 2019.

Positions on water conservation Peltier's views on conservation justice are in line with traditional Indigenous perspectives and can be characterized as relational, which entails a kinship as well as an interdependent human relationship with nature and all its beings. She says that: She said: This conference also allowed Peltier to further spread awareness for her cause globally.

Peltier is active on various social media platforms and often is connected as a contributor across international broadcast networks and on-line platforms. She has over 200,000 followers across platforms, using them to spread awareness of indigenous inequalities and water advocacy issues, This position was previously held by her great-aunt, Josephine Mandamin, who died in 2019.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Peltier spoke up about the increased importance of clean water access as a public health issue for First Nations communities, where outbreaks have been particularly severe. Peltier believes that the response to the COVID-19 pandemic globally has paved a way for a response to the issue of the drinking water crisis for First Nations in Canada and is hopeful that change is possible. Canadian Living Me to We Award Youth in Action under 12, 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.