Keepers of the Athabasca are in the process of developing two solar installation projects with First Nations in Alberta.

The KoA Newsletter for June 2016 includes features on a gathering of Indigenous leaders to discuss climate action, an update on the Swan Hills Treatment Centre, an introduction to our new directors, and more.

Keepers of the Water join Paddle for the Peace, urgently protecting the Peace River from Site C Dam. Join us for a Strategic Planning Session on July 9, 2016 at 6pm (RSVP), and for our Annual General Meeting on July 10, 2016 at 1pm at the Treaty 8 Building in Fort St. John, BC.

As Keepers of the Water, we, the people who have united from all walks of life, have an understanding that Water is sacred, and water is boss.

We have waited two long years to find out the facts behind the catastrophic Obed coal slurry spill and be privy to the evidence for the criminal charges laid by the Alberta Energy Regulator against the then owner of the mine, Sherritt International, and Coal Valley Resources.

Keepers of the Athabasca calls on other world governments, even those who may feel that in their countries they do not have a group of people who self identify as Indigenous, to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in any international agreement from the UN climate change summit in Paris.

Keepers of the Athabasca supports any of Canada's political parties that institute the listed water protections

Since the water restriction, four reports have come to attention, all providing mounting evidence that low water levels in the Athabasca River are going to continue to be expected as long as there is massive tar sands industry drawing water from the Athabasca River.

A new survey reveals Albertans overwhelmingly support requirements for oilsands developers to offset their impacts to northern wetlands.

The Keepers of the Water congratulates the current Government of Alberta for working with the Chiefs of Driftpile and Swan River First Nations to start resolving longstanding issues in the forest.

The Keepers of the Water will hold our ninth annual Gathering at Bushe River next week. Unfortunately, yet another pipeline break has occurred that is challenging our co-hosts. Near Chateh, on Dene Tha' Traditional Territory, Nuvista Energy spilled 100 cubic metres of "emulsion" (bitumen, sand, and waste water) over a 13,200 square metre area.

While the Canadian Chamber of Commerce suggests that industry and Aboriginal communities could align to extract resources, many Aboriginal communities would rather align to clean up Alberta's landscape, debilitated by pipeline breaks, cut lines, and over 50,000 abandoned well pads

The Alberta Energy Regulator currently placed a water restriction on the Athabasca River. The first ever since anyone can ever remember, and some are thanking the new NDP government for prodding the AER to uphold their others duties of not only Energy oversight, but Environmetal protection, which has been severely lacking since the creation of the AER.

A group of activists are cycling the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline route from Seattle to the tar sands boom town of Fort McMurray. Through filmed interviews with First Nations and frontline communities, these folks will illuminate the oil industry's dirty tactics and elevate the voices of those most impacted by the continued expansion of Canada's tar sands.

The first issue of News from the Keepers is now available, including the Resolutions from Cold Lake, an introduction to our new Executive Director, and more.

Keepers of the Water and the Dene Tha' Nation in Bushe River, Treaty 8 Territory invite you to two important events this summer: a bush camp on Decolonizing Water Governance (August 5-8) and Keepers of the Water IX, our annual watershed gathering of stewards to protect our sacred Arctic Ocean Basin and northern waters (August 27-30).

The Keepers of the Athabasca call on Transport Canada to perform independent inspections instead of relying on rail companies, in order to verify public safety. Commemorating two years after Lac Megantic, Keepers are putting up "Blast Zone" signs to warn the public that within 1 kilometre from passing trains, we are in the ‘blast zone’.

In this letter, we state our concerns related to the reissuing of the Government of Alberta Approval for the Swan Hills Treatment Centre (SHTC) operated by SENA Waste Services Inc, which approval expires on November 15, 2015.