Updated: Dec 5, 2020
Indigenous peoples have a special connection to water that is unlike the one in typical Western society. The Anishinaabe peoples believe that water is the bloodline of the earth and that if we do not take care of the earth, and water specifically, we will suffer alongside her. Anishinaabe culture also believes that water is a living entity with its own spirit, and, in many cases, water is seen as a relative of the Anishinaabe peoples which carries the spirits of past ancestors and unites them with present living Anishinaabe people.
Canada has approximately 9% of the world’s renewable water supply, yet more than half of all water systems on reserves pose a medium to high risk to the community. This means that over 50% of reserves in Canada do not have clean drinking water or a sewage system, including the Oneida of the Thames who live 30km south of London on the eastern shore of the Thames. The water crisis on reserves in Canada is not something that can be solved by money or new technologies, rather it is an issue that the Canadian government needs to resolve with the help and influence of Indigenous peoples.
The solution to this crisis is far more complex than adding a few pipes into reserves, it involves a long-term spiritual approach headed by the First Nation communities. Since water is a living entity in their culture, the only way to solve the water crisis is to purify the water by healing the traumas that the water has faced.
The Canadian government needs to do more than throw money and science at Indigenous peoples as this problem goes far beyond the basic need of water on reserves. It is a cultural and systemic issue as the Canadian government has ignored the opinions of Indigenous peoples for so many years. The water crisis will not be solved until the Canadian government can recognize the legitimacy of Indigenous peoples and respect their culture enough to listen to the voices of Indigenous peoples on issues surrounding their lives, lands and waters.
Works Cited:
McGregor, Deborah. “Indigenous Women, Water Justice and Zaagidowin (Love).” Canadian Woman Studies, vol. 30, no. 2, ser. 3, pp. 71–78. 3.
McGregor, Deborah. “Traditional Knowledge: Considerations for Protecting Water in Ontario.” The International Indigenous Policy Journal, vol. 3, no. 3, ser. 11, 2012, pp. 1–21. 11, doi:10.18584/iipj.2012.3.3.11.
White, Jerry P, et al. “Water and Indigenous Peoples: Canada's Paradox .” The International Indigenous Policy Journal, vol. 3, no. 3, ser. 3, 10 Dec. 2012, pp. 1–25. 3.