Water is Life

Indigenous Water Rights

Indigenous-led environmental protection work has been ongoing in the settler state of Canada through the many different forms of Indigenous resistance across this land for generations. It has been more noticeable since the 1970 Red Paper response to the 1969 White Paper. Indigenous resistance has evolved over the years into direct action such as the Constitution Express, the Oka Crisis, the Gustafsen Lake standoff, the Ipperwash crisis, the Idle No More movement, the Water is Life movement, the Keep It In the Ground movement to the LandBack movement. Indigenous-led action for the right to exist as autonomous Nations with collective rights is only a small part of our collective history that has helped Indigenous-led organizations like Keepers of the Water (KOW) grow into the organization we have become today. As KOW grows, we are able to lift up more voices from the numerous communities that are intrinsically connected together by waters carried throughout the Arctic Drainage Basin.

At about 1,500 metres above sea level, at the bottom of the Columbia Icefield, is an unnamed lake of melted ice and snow. This nameless lake is where the headwaters of the Athabasca River begin. The Athabasca River is an undammed river that flows almost 1300 km northeast across Alberta, absorbing and distributing water through multiple watersheds that eventually drain into the Arctic Ocean. The amount of life that depends on this freshwater source is immeasurable. This river travels through numerous Indigenous communities and is a lifeline to thousands of people and countless other forms of life, until eventually draining into the Arctic Ocean.

The immediate and long-term health of Dene, Cree, Métis, Inuit People are interconnected by their distinct traditional practices within the Arctic Drainage Basin. The Arctic Drainage Basin is a watershed that spans the vast territories of many Indigenous Peoples and clean water is absolutely vital to our inherent rights, Spiritual connection to the land, our ability to hunt, fish, trap, gather traditional medicines, provide land-based education, and practice our ancient ceremonies. These rights are threatened by seeping toxic tailings lakes and ponds. Added to this already toxic threat is the threat of industry and government working together, without adequate safety data, on releasing these toxic lakes into the mighty Athabasca River.

A watershed is an entire river system. Like the Athabasca River, it is an area drained by a river and its tributaries, such as streams, ponds, lakes, connecting rivers, wetlands, or estuaries that eventually drain into one place. Large watersheds are often called drainage basins contain many smaller watersheds.

Watersheds also transport non-point source pollution. Nonpoint source pollution is a combination of pollutants, e.g. oil from cars and manure from farms, from a large area rather than from specific identifiable sources such as leaking tailings lakes and ponds. Snowmelt and rain runoff are generally associated with nonpoint source pollution because runoff water empties into streams or rivers after accumulating pollutants from everyday places like gardens, parking lots or construction sites. Non-point pollutants accumulate in watersheds due to the combination of various human and natural activities and threaten access to clean water for everyone within the Arctic Drainage Basin.

In 2006, Dr. John O’Connor made international headlines when he first spoke out about elevated cancer rates in Northern Alberta communities and believe they were linked to tar sands activity from toxins leaking from tailings lakes and ponds, into the surrounding land and water systems. This claim was later supported by a study partially funded by Health Canada.
It’s time to move on from Oil- a healthier more sustainable society is underway. 🌱 With some care and some thought, we can ensure the 18 communities who rely on fossil fuel employment get the support they deserve.

Join the movement and take action here.