Indigenous Peoples understand human health relies on healthy waters

Abstract

Indigenous Peoples’ health is directly linked to the health of the waters. In Canada, First Nation communities are often the first to be affected by unhealthy waters regardless of Canada having a vast amount of fresh water. Indigenous Peoples view health as holistic encompassing the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being that relies on healthy waters. They understand that health is directly linked to the health of the waters and have been stating so for several years. Water has become a human right but colonial water decision-making continues to allow for water pollution ignoring the Indigenous worldview that water is medicine. How can you have healthy people when the waters are contaminated. The Indigenous worldview and knowledge can provide solutions in water decision-making to ensure the waters continue to live their responsibility of providing health to humans and all life.

Introduction

Introducing myself

In Anishinaabe culture, it is important to introduce myself as an essential cultural protocol. Susan Chiblow ndizhinikass, Jijuak indoodem, Ketaguanzeebing indoonjiba, Anishinaabe Ojbway endow. Ketaguanzeebing indaa noogom, Ansihinaabek aki indoojibaa. Susan Chiblow is my name, I am Crane Clan from Garden River. I am Anishinaabe and live in my community of Garden River First Nation. I live on the earth of the Anishinaabek. I position my name, my clan, where I am from, who I am, where I live, and in the larger context, I am in Anishinaabek territory. I am driven by the need to be a good ancestor. Through continuous Anishinaabek ceremony, I am reminded to be who I need to be in order to help our people. I therefore don’t study or research Indigenous Peoples, I am them, I work with them, I live in community, I participate in governance events, I participate in ceremony, and most importantly, I stand with them and their knowledge systems. This has provided me with unique opportunities that I am grateful for, and I will always remain with my people living my responsibilities as an Anishinaabe woman.

Water pollution

Canada is recognized for the vast wealth of fresh water, yet many Indigenous communities lack access to safe clean drinking water and access to healthy waters free of contaminants. A host of unresolved matters speak to issues of colonization, inequity, injustices, and institutional trends that continue to contribute to unhealthy waters.¹ Settler violence has implemented the clearing of forests and grasslands, draining of swamps and diverting and damming rivers, and extracting copper, gold, and other metals from the Earth. Scholars have referred to this as a slow continuous violence.² The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres in his speech on the state of the planet in December 2020: “Humanity is waging war on nature. This is suicidal … water pollution is killing 9 million people annually—more than six times the current toll of the pandemic.”³ The Indigenous Peoples understand that colonial driven economic values are poisoning the waters⁴ and are the first to suffer from the effects of the poisons.^5,6

Indigenous Peoples are often the first to take notice of the degradation of the waters^4–6 experiencing a disproportionate burden of water insecurity compared to non-Indigenous populations.⁷ Many Indigenous worldviews treat water as a life source for all, a living entity, and a spirit, not something to be owned or acquired.^5,7,8 The Indigenous Peoples Kyoto Water Declaration affirms water is living and has a connection to all life.⁹ The degradation of the waters affects the human right to water.

Human right to water

A vast body of literature has evolved over the last few decades addressing access to clean water as a human right. Reliable supply of drinking water is recognized as a basic human right and is a powerful determinant of health.¹⁰ The United Nations 2010 General Assembly declared that all peoples should have sufficient, safe, and acceptable access to waters¹¹ as a human right.

In Ontario, the water-related Walkerton tragedy increased widespread attention of the lack of safe drinking water in First Nation communities. Justice O’Conner, who led the Inquiry into the Walkerton tragedy, stated that water provided to the Indigenous communities in Ontario is some of the poorest quality in the province.¹² This poor quality of water is linked to good health.^5,13 Governments have made commitments to address access to clean water in First Nation communities yet, access to safe water remains unrealized due to historical disparities, systemic exclusion of Indigenous Peoples, and persistent inequalities¹⁴ commonly known as colonization.

Colonization

Health disparities in Indigenous communities are largely the result of historical and contemporary colonialism of global extractive industry, neoliberal economic reforms, global capitalism, and government legislation.^15,16 Colonization has attempted to eradicate Indigenous Peoples, their laws, knowledge, and governance systems. Colonization is rooted in capitalism, individualism, ownership, and possession and position Indigenous Peoples and the environment as less than and disposable.¹⁷ Treating the environment as disposable is linked to colonial regulations and laws that allow destruction of the lands and waters which contracts Indigenous worldviews. The destruction of the waters is directly linked to health disparities in Indigenous communities. The cultural stress alone has detrimental effects on the health and wellness of Indigenous communities.¹⁸ Indigenous health has been and continues to be affected by colonization (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

The First Nations Health Authority model depicting First Nations’ perspective on health and wellness.

Indigenous health

Indigenous Peoples consider health to be the four elements of physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health. This is often referred to as holistic health that are interconnected and needed for good health. Indigenous framing of human health and wellness differs from the Western biomedical model, which sees health as the absence of disease.¹⁶ Therefore, several Indigenous organizations have created models or frameworks for Indigenous holistic health, wellness, and well-being.¹⁹ There are variances in the models, but all demonstrate the interconnectedness of the lands, waters, and the four pillars of health. For Indigenous Peoples, it is about balance being interconnected and interrelated to all life. The health and well-being of the people is integral to the health and well-being of the lands.²⁰ These models go beyond the typical health determinants emphasizing connections between physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The health of the natural world is inseparable from human health and well-being.²¹ The Indigenous health models express how the waters need to be healthy to have healthy people. The Indigenous worldview on health is directly linked to their worldview on water.

Indigenous worldview

Many Indigenous teachings support that water is the first medicine and has healing properties.^4-6,22,23 To Indigenous Peoples, water is more than a commodity to be controlled and manipulated. Water is life-sustaining—water is life and has spirit as a living entity providing life to all peoples and beings.^4-6,22,23 Indigenous health is linked to water due to the spiritual understanding that water is the first medicine¹⁶ and water is alive with spirit. The Sylilx Nation Siwɬkʷ Declaration informs that water is the lifeblood connecting us to all life and is needed for the health of people.²⁴ Indigenous worldview is holistic connecting people’s health to the health of the waters. Healthy waters are vital for healthy peoples. Indigenous worldviews understand that humans are part of the cycle of life and unhealthy waters will make people unhealthy.

Unhealthy water

There is an abundant amount of literature typing unhealthy drinking water to unhealthy people. Water is the lifeblood for everyone and everything and if you don’t have healthy waters, you won’t have healthy people.²⁵ Health outcomes associated with the lack of healthy waters include short-term and long-term nutritional issues, dehydration, diarrhoeal prevalence, water-related stress, birth outcomes, kidney functions, chronic health effects, and cardiovascular health.²⁶ The burden of various disease estimates is attributed to water especially in marginalized peoples.²⁷ Marginalized people typically lack clean safe drinking water, and this is a serious issue impacting the health and well-being of Indigenous communities around the world.^28-32 In Canada, First Nation Peoples face multiple water issues including boil water advisories. Boil Water Advisories (BWAs) are issued when water is known, or suspected to be, or could become unsafe for human consumption and range from do not consume to do not use the tap under any circumstance.¹⁷ Consequences of not having clean running water include physical suffering, financial suffering, and psychological suffering.³³ Children have been born in First Nation communities grown into adults without ever having access to safe drinking water in their lifetime.¹⁴ This translated to never being able to turn on the tap for a glass of water and in many instances not able to use the water to bathe especially, infants, children, and the elderly.⁶ Shoal Lake and Grassy Narrows have had drinking water advisories for over a century.²² Canada is not free from the serious health issues stemming from boil water advisories—regardless of it being considered a wealthy country.

Discussion

In 2007 and 2008, the Chiefs of Ontario Environmental Unit hosted several gatherings with Elders, Chiefs, community members, and knowledge holders to discuss the waters. A final First Nations Water Policy Forum was hosted by Garden River First Nation in 2008 with five main themes: First Nations Perspectives on Water; Water Quality; Water Quantity; Safe Drinking Water; and Models for a Path Forward.⁴ Ceremony and spirituality were central throughout the gatherings guiding discussions. From the gatherings, a Water Declaration of the Anishinaabek, Muskegowuk, and Onkwehonwe in Ontario was born expressing the voices of the participants. The Declaration has a preamble; relationship to waters; conditions of our waters; major themes; right of water and self-determination; and rights to waters and treaties.⁴ The Declaration states under the theme Conditions of our Waters:

The ecosystems of the world have been under considerable stress from misuse and abuse. The waters are polluted with chemicals, pesticides, sewage, disease, radioactive waste, dumping of water from mines, dumping from ships in complete violation of our sacred laws given by the Creator and;

The Anishinaabek, Muskegowuk and Onkwehonwe in Ontario have made a preliminary survey of the waters within our territories and found that sensitive balance of the ecosystem has been compromised by the intervention of the non-Indigenous people and;

The waste and destruction of entire waste systems have led to the shortage of waters and the contamination of the waters and;

The Anishinaabek, Muskegowuk and Onkwehonwe in Ontario have observed and heard stories about the waters being polluted with chemicals, pesticides, sewage, disease, radioactive waste, dumping from mines, waste in waters that make the peoples sick, ocean-going boats who drop shipping waste into the waters and;

The animals, fish, and all living organisms are affected by pollution of the waters where we are told to eat one fish a week rather than following our own diet and;

The Anishinaabek, Muskegowuk and Onkwehonwe in Ontario have been denied a role the decision making which results in the contamination of this precious gift and;

The Anishinaabek, Muskegowuk and Onkwehonwe in Ontario see the ground waters being disrupted by forestry and mining destroying ground waters, rain waters and spring waters and;

The effects of global warming has been changing the amount of snow and rain to replenish the water systems and;

All living things are affected by this destruction of the waters from the forests, land, plants, marine life, air, fish, insects, birds, animals and;

The destruction of all living beings have a direct relationship to the lives and health of Anishinaabek, Muskegowuk and Onkwehonwe in Ontario and;

The Anishinaabek, Muskegowuk and Onkwehonwe in Ontario have observed that the waters are increasingly being subjected to review and governed by foreign economic values which further alienate the relationships between the Anishinaabek, Muskegowuk and Onkwehonwe in Ontario and our relationships to all waters.⁴

This section of the Declaration articulates how the waters have been polluted; how all life is affected by the contaminated waters; how the non-Indigenous Peoples view the waters as a disposable which has caused the waters to be polluted; and how the health of the peoples are affected by the waters.⁴ The Declaration establishes that Indigenous Peoples understand and have been declaring for several years that people cannot be healthy if the waters are not healthy.⁴

It is well known that many First Nation communities do not have access to safe clean drinking water.¹⁵ In fact, First Nation safe drinking water is considered a crisis where approximately one-third of First Nations face health threats from high-risk drinking water systems.³⁵ How can First Nations be healthy when they do not have access to healthy waters. A recent research study was published regarding the health of the people in Asubpeeschoseewagong Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) explaining how the contamination of their waterways have disrupted their culture, traditions, economy, and the health of the peoples.³⁴ The research exposes that contamination of the waters is intergenerational.³⁵ The effects of unhealthy waters compound over time and even through generations.²⁶ When the horrific experiences of trauma and loss have not been addressed, it consumes Indigenous Peoples’ health, all four elements of their health, physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional.³⁶ The trauma and loss of healthy waters is affecting Indigenous Peoples’ health. Indigenous Peoples understand the consequences of contaminated waters, of not having access to safe clean drinking water and live with these conditions daily. Indigenous Peoples understand that human health relies on healthy waters.

Conclusion and recommendations

There are numerous research articles on human health, particularly on Indigenous health. There are numerous water declarations by Indigenous Peoples connecting health to the environment including to the waters. Indigenous Peoples have been expressing their concerns over the contamination of the waters for decades, yet little changes. Health and environment leaders have an opportunity to delve further into the health effects of unhealthy waters – what are the long-term effects of pollution on peoples’ health? Further, health leaders can initiate action in support of Indigenous Peoples’ access to clean, safe drinking water. Currently, the waters are governed by foreign laws based on economic gain. This has contributed to and continues to contribute to the poisoning of the waters. Indigenous worldviews on water can contribute to reforming current water decision to ensure health waters.

In 2019, the Prime Minister directed the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, with the support of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Minister of Natural Resources and the Special Representative for the Prairies to create a new Canada Water Agency (CWA) to work together with the provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists and others to find the best ways to keep our water safe, clean and well-managed.³⁷ This has created an opportunity for government leaders and Indigenous leaders to work collaboratively to address water governance for the inclusion of Indigenous worldviews. This will be difficult work and will require challenging conversations about jurisdiction, but it is an opportune time to begin this work.

It is well known through Indigenous Declarations^4,9,38 that Indigenous Peoples understand water provides life, has responsibilities to life, and when disrupted, a harmonious balance is interrupted—human’s health is interrupted. The Declarations also mention that Indigenous Peoples’ responsibilities to the waters are based on their own laws and culture. Declarations have been written about the need for governments to consult with Indigenous Peoples³⁹ at a minimum when creating policies or when industry will be on the lands. Indigenous organizations such as Indigenous Environmental Network have developed Indigenous Principles of Just Transition.⁴⁰ These Principles call on governments to work with Indigenous Peoples on consultation. Indigenous worldview, knowledge, and petitions for meaningful consultation are not new. Indigenous Peoples have been explaining the health of humans is directly linked to the health of Creation since contact with settlers. Indigenous Peoples have solutions, but are you ready and willing to stand with their knowledge systems to secure healthy waters for today and into the future, and if not now, then when?

“Indigenous prophecy meets scientific prediction. What we have known and believed, you also now know: The Earth is out of balance. The plants are disappearing, the animals are dying, and the very weather—rain, wind, and fire itself—reacts against the actions of the human being. For the future of the children, for the health of our Mother Earth, Father Sky, and the rest of Creation, we call upon the people of the world to hold your leaders accountable.”⁴¹

Footnotes

Acknowledgements

I want to acknowledge all the Indigenous women who continue to do the work for the waters and to all who continue to share their knowledge.

Declaration of conflicting interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Ethical approval

Institutional Review Board approval was not required.

ORCID iD

Susan Chiblow

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