Water is Life: Indigenous communities and the right to access to water
Last Sunday (9th August) was the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. It was a day to celebrate indigenous nations and a day to highlight the numerous injustices and challenges that they continue to face.
There is a worrying global lack of water rights for indigenous communities.
Water is an integral, sacred component part of many indigenous cultures across the world. Water is Life or ‘Mní wičhón’ is a Lakota phrase that became central to the 2017 Dakota Pipeline protests. When natural sites are desecrated and water sources are commercialised, indigenous communities are the first to suffer from a reduced access to water which leads to a reduced quality of life.
In this spotlight blog we highlight some of the challenges and champion several organisations working to improve access to water for indigenous people across the world.
Native American communities in the USA
The 2019 report ‘Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States’ headed by WASH organisation Dig Deep estimated that 30% of people on Navajo nation lacked access to running water. this analysis of the water gap has been missing from the data. NPR also highlighted that 58 out of every 1,000 Native American household had no plumbing compared to 3 out every 1,000 white American households People in the Navajo nation either often have to stockpile water for emergencies or travel miles to water stations.
For decades, Native American communities have had to fight for their right to access water from the 1908 United States Supreme Court case, Winters v. United States to the recent Dakota Access Pipelines in 2017.
The lack of water access put indigenous communities at a disproportionate risk of the impact of COVID-19. In May 2020, the Navajo nation’s coronavirus infection rate had surpassed the rate of New York state, at 2,680 cases per 100,000 people. The structural injustices that continue to limit access to water need to be undone.
First Nations communities in Canada
The First Nations communities in Canada have fallen foul of poor policy and water management by the federal government. Instead of action to end contaminated water, 61 long-term water advisories continue to be in place because the water is not safe to drink. Some of these advisories have been in place for twenty-five years. The the long-term boil water advisory since 1995 for the Neskantanga First Nation community didn’t prevent the State of Emergency in 2019 when households were left without running water.
Successive Canadian governments have pledged to tackle the water crisis and end all long-term advisories by 2021 but the response is still lacking. Several First Nation communities have taken steps to innovate solutions such as new water facilities, but the lack of federal action hinders progress.
Indigenous Communities in Latin America.
Multinational companies had long been privatising water sources across Latin America. This commercialisation of natural resources can be seen as an extension of colonial history of Latin America. The privatisation of water is a focal point of resistance for indigenous communities who want access and control of water in their own communities.
Bolivia’s indigenous communities has a history of tackling the water privatisation. In 2000’s ‘Water War’ tens of thousands of people protested against water privatisation in majority-indigenous city of Cochabamba.
During the 8th World Water Forum, indigenous groups once again raised their struggle for basic water rights.
Aboriginal communities in Australia
The main water source, the Murray Darling River System, is a sacred for Aboriginal people. Despite making up 9.3 % of New South Wale’s population, Aboriginal residents collectively hold just 0.2% of all available surface water. Aboriginal people had long been shut out from water management, only having their traditional ownership land rights recognised in 1992. The lack of representation prevents progress.
Indigenous Water-Related Projects
Here are several fantastic initiatives working to secure water rights and access to clean running water and sustainable sanitation for indigenous communities across the world:
Navajo Water Project — The Navajo Water Project is a community-managed utility alternative that brings hot and cold running water to homes without access to water or sewer lines.
Water First — Canada’s leading charitable organization working with Indigenous communities to resolve local water challenges.
International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers — An organisation led by indigenous women across the world, including Latin America, that focus on combatting environmental issues.
Natural Cultural Flows Project — The National Cultural Flows Research Project is a game-changing research project driven by Aboriginal people, for Aboriginal people.
