5.6 Indigenous Lens - Water

Question 1

What are western views of water?

Answer 1

• Important natural resource
• Commodity
• Used for industry, agriculture
• Used by humans as a nutrient

Question 2

What are indigenous views of water?

Answer 2

• Tied to our existence
• Part of who we are
• Has a life of its own
• “Mother Life’s blood”

Question 3

What is interesting about the Whanganui River in New Zealand?

Answer 3

First river given same legal rights as humans after 140 years of lobbying

Question 4

What is the aim of the decolonizing water project in Canada? What is an example?

Answer 4

Create a community based water governance system led by indigenous individuals and rooted in indigenous law

Ex. indigenous led collection of water samples along the Yukon river