All the good names are taken. Is my fault that I was born to the wrong family at the wrong time and missed my chance at this glory? Jaylene obviously didn’t.

‘Essential to our way of living’: N.W.T. woman launches Water is Life photo project

Tyra Moses is creating a photo series, “Water Is Life,” which will profile supporters of Wet’suwet’en First Nation members who oppose the pipeline.

The wind on Great Slave Lake is brisk, adding a chill as the temperature falls past -20 C. Jaylene Delorme-Buggins lies down on the ice in a traditional skirt. Moses holds the shutter and

fires off a few bursts of images, totally focused on her shot.

“I don’t want to be smiling,”  Delorme-Buggins said as they reviewed the photos. “What they’re doing to our people and taking our land — it’s not a happy time.”

Good point. I’m glad they’re doing this project. I wish them all success.Gee, what would be the perfect native name for a woman protecting water in the northwest territories. Hmm can you guess?

At her traditional naming ceremony last year, an elder told her she was destined to be a water protector. So when she heard about what Moses wanted to do, she jumped on board — bringing the dramatic makeup, traditional clothing and eagle feather.

Delorme-Buggins’s traditional name is Thunder Beaver Woman. Her two protectors are the beaver and the snake, which are water animals.

There it is again. That double pang of deep respect and vibrant envy. I wanna be a thunder-beaver-woman-woman. So very jealous. Well, except for this one small detail.

Jaylene Delorme-Buggins added, laughing.

“I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat if it was minus 50.”