Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

rights

AFN regional chief calls for safe drinking water at UN Water Conference

AFN regional chief calls for safe drinking water at UN Water Conference

AFN Manitoba Regional Chief Cindy Woodhouse spoke at the United Nations Water Conference recently in New York to highlight the rights of First Nations when it comes to safe drinking water. Woodhouse talked about water governance and the need for intensified action to realize the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation for all indigenous peoples. Some 10,000 participants gathered at UN Headquarters and online from March 22-24 to address the water crisis and “ensure equitable access to water for all.”

Nechako First Nations call on Rio Tinto to release more water into the Nechako River

Nechako First Nations call on Rio Tinto to release more water into the Nechako River

A group of B.C. First Nations are calling on Australian mining giant Rio Tinto Alcan to release more water into the Nechako River after a sudden die-off of endangered white sturgeon. Last month, B.C.’s Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship reported 11 dead adult white sturgeon had been found in the Nechako River — an unusual occurrence. White sturgeon can grow to six metres long and live more than 100 years. They are an endangered species with between 300 and 600 remaining in the wild. Scientists said the fish had not died from disease, chemical exposure or due to fishing, and had no signs of injury. The government then reached out to local First Nations.

Melillo wants to ‘eat his words’ on clean water crisis

Melillo wants to ‘eat his words’ on clean water crisis

Ottawa has once again delayed the completion of much-needed work on designing and building water construction plants in communities with long-term drinking water advisories but has recommitted to providing clean drinking water across the country. “It’s frustrating,” says Kenora MP Eric Melillo. “The government made a lot of promises to Canadians and Indigenous people across this country that they were going to end all long-term boil-water drinking water advisories.”

Quebec river granted legal rights as part of global 'personhood' movement

Quebec river granted legal rights as part of global 'personhood' movement

With its kilometres of rapids and deep blue waters winding through Quebec's Côte-Nord region, the Magpie River has long been a culturally significant spot for the Innu of Ekuanitshit. Now the river, a majestic, world-renowned whitewater rafting destination, has been granted legal personhood status in a bid to protect it from future threats, such as hydro development. Its new status means the body of water could theoretically sue the government. On Feb. 16, the regional municipality of Minganie and the Innu Council of Ekuanitshit adopted separate but similar resolutions granting the river nine legal rights, including the right to flow, to maintain its biodiversity and the right to take legal action.

Raising awareness of Indigenous water rights in B.C.

Raising awareness of Indigenous water rights in B.C.

Now, he works as a lecturer at UBCO, where his work is focused on Indigenous water rights and customary laws. On Jan. 26, Sam was one of the keynote speakers at a workshop designed “to bring together diverse stakeholders to discuss and improve understanding of Aboriginal water rights in British Columbia,” according to the event page. The objective of the three-hour workshop was to raise awareness around the implications of Aboriginal title and rights as they relate to water in B.C., within the Syilx People’s unceded territory.

Canada remains opposed to Aboriginal rights and valuing Indigenous lives

Canada remains opposed to Aboriginal rights and valuing Indigenous lives

Grassy Narrows First Nation has been beset with indifference for their lives and their rights by the Canadian government for five decades. From 1962 to 1970, the Dryden paper mill dumped 10 tonnes of mercury into the Wabigoon River upstream from Grassy Narrows. This polluted fish and drinking wells. The federal and provincial governments claimed as late as 2016 that the river would clean out the mercury naturally. Despite reports as early as 1984 stating government action was needed. Still nothing has been done. The Canadian government’s utter disregard for Indigenous lives is so perverse that until recently it has not allotted resources for researchers to intensively study the health impact of the mercury. Rather, the bulk of research done has been by a Japanese research team that in 2012 found at least one resident who was born with mercury poisoning and, in 2007, two children born with brain cancer and who experienced seizures.

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