Atlantic First Nations Water Authority: A Utility Created by and to Serve First Nations

• Published in: Journal AWWA
• Main Author: Gould, Adam
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2022
• Subjects: Canada; First Nations; Wolastoqiyik
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/awwa.1885; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/awwa.1885; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/awwa.1885; https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/awwa.1885

Key Takeaways When confronted with the need for a utility or dedicated provider of water and wastewater services, the Indigenous peoples of Atlantic Canada viewed the issue from a perspective shaped by historical legacies. The Mi'kmaw and Wolastoqiyik (Wabanaki) nations founded the Atlantic First Nations Water Authority (AFNWA), one of Canada's first Indigenous‐owned water and wastewater services utilities. AFNWA adopted a full‐service, decentralized, hub‐and‐spoke model structure as being most consistent with First Nations concepts of ownership and values.