Shesa国际传媒檚 not old enough to get her learnersa国际传媒檚 permit, but Autumn Peltier has been a driving force in the fight to protect water in Canadasa国际传媒檚 Indigenous communities for years.

The teenage activist from Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island in northern Ontario has been engaged in the issue since she first came across a boil-water advisory in a nearby Anishinaabe community when she was eight years old.

But Peltier said shesa国际传媒檚 had this connection since she was in the womb, where according to cultural teachings, one learns to love water as they love their mother. It traces back even further to her female ancestors, from whom she inherited her traditional role as a water carrier.

As she turns 15 on Friday, the same day students across Canada are expected to march in a massive strike intended to disrupt climate-change inaction, Peltier finds herself at the forefront of an environmental movement being led by youth like her and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

This weekend, Peltier sa国际传媒� the chief water commissioner for Anishinabek Nation, which advocates for 40 member First Nations in Ontario sa国际传媒� will return to the United Nations to share her vision for a world in which everyone has access to clean water.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 willing to do my best to represent Canada and the Indigenous people and have a strong voice for our future,sa国际传媒� she said by phone from New York.

sa国际传媒淚 basically want to tell them about the importance of water from a cultural, spiritual level, and then try to tell them that itsa国际传媒檚 time for action.sa国际传媒�

Peltier is set to address hundreds of international guests on Saturday at the Global Landscapes Forum, a platform on land use backed by UN Environment.

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Itsa国际传媒檚 her second time speaking at the UN headquarters in Manhattan, having urged the General Assembly to sa国际传媒渨arrior upsa国际传媒� and take a stand for our planet last year.

Peltier, who was nominated for the 2019 International Childrensa国际传媒檚 Peace Prize by the David Suzuki Foundation, has spread her message at hundreds of events around the world, her mother, Stephanie Peltier, said.

In 2015, Peltier attended the Childrensa国际传媒檚 Climate Conference in Sweden, and a year later, confronted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about his sa国际传媒渂roken promisessa国际传媒� at a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations.

sa国际传媒淪he has taken Canadasa国际传媒檚 water crisis on Indigenous lands to the global stage,sa国际传媒� Robert Nasi, executive director of the Global Landscapes Forum, said in a statement.

Peltier will help kick off the forumsa国际传媒檚 conference on ecosystem restoration with a speech drawing on her spiritual knowledge about Indigenous Peoplessa国际传媒� connection to land, water and Mother Earth.

The event comes on the heels of the UNsa国际传媒檚 Climate Action Summit, where earlier this week 16-year-old Thunberg delivered an impassioned plea and scolded world leaders for their inaction on climate change. Thunberg is expected to attend Fridaysa国际传媒檚 climate protests in Montreal.

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Peltier had hoped to meet up with Thunberg in New York, but said making plans proved to be difficult. Shesa国际传媒檚 still excited to connect with other international youth activists, particularly those from Indigenous communities.

Peltier feels her generation is leading the charge on climate change, because while they may not have created the problem, theysa国际传媒檙e poised to suffer the most severe consequences.

sa国际传媒淲ill we even have a future to look forward to, for our future children, grandchildren?sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭his is our future wesa国际传媒檙e trying to protect and take care of, because itsa国际传媒檚 being basically destroyed.sa国际传媒�

With youth-led climate strikes sprouting up across the globe, Peltiersa国际传媒檚 mother said there are signs that adults are finally catching up.

sa国际传媒淲here I come from, the youth are our teachers. We learn from them, and so you have to listen to them,sa国际传媒� Stephanie Peltier said. sa国际传媒淭oday, I think itsa国际传媒檚 just an eye-opener, and the youth are being empowered and theysa国际传媒檙e being allowed to share.sa国际传媒�

She said her daughtersa国际传媒檚 Instagram audience has seen a tenfold increase this week from 5,500 followers to more than 55,000 as of Thursday afternoon.

She assumes that Thunbergsa国际传媒檚 moment in the global spotlight may be a factor in this exponential growth. She noted that young Indigenous activists have long been advocating for environmental issues, but are only now receiving recognition.

sa国际传媒淲e know first hand sa国际传媒� that our people have been impacted for many years,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淣ow everybodysa国际传媒檚 saying, hey, what about the Indigenous people? Theysa国际传媒檝e been doing this work too.sa国际传媒�

Adina Bresge, The Canadian Press

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