Water and Indigenous Peoples: Canada’s Paradox
The condition of water safety and quality on reserve has been a growing concern in Canada. Despite a substantial amount of funding allocated toward improving water infrastructure on reserve, an alarming proportion of communities face boil and drinking water advisories. To understand why this paradox...
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University of Western Ontario
2012
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:b9e4258a84114dbc83af3751158178ed 2023-05-15T16:15:55+02:00 Water and Indigenous Peoples: Canada’s Paradox Jerry P. White Laura Murphy 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doaj.org/article/b9e4258a84114dbc83af3751158178ed EN eng University of Western Ontario http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1093&context=iipj https://doaj.org/toc/1916-5781 1916-5781 https://doaj.org/article/b9e4258a84114dbc83af3751158178ed International Indigenous Policy Journal, Vol 3, Iss 3, p 3 (2012) water Indigenous community capacity capital Political science J Social Sciences H article 2012 ftdoajarticles 2022-12-31T11:26:53Z The condition of water safety and quality on reserve has been a growing concern in Canada. Despite a substantial amount of funding allocated toward improving water infrastructure on reserve, an alarming proportion of communities face boil and drinking water advisories. To understand why this paradox and problem persists, this article will work through the issues and nuances that have created unsafe drinking water on reserve, proposed remedies, and policy implications. To do so, the role of the Government of Canada is reviewed first because reserve land is under federal jurisdiction. Following this, the article will discuss the standpoints of the Assembly of First Nations and other Indigenous groups on the water crisis, and will draw upon focus groups within First Nations that we conducted. To contextualize the water issue on reserve in Canada, a comparison with the United States is then drawn.One of the main themes of this paper with regard to the issue of safe drinking water on reserve is how the legacy of colonization has limited community capacity. This theme is then discussed in depth by comparing Indigenous to non-Indigenous communities, looking to the social determinants of water quality, and possibilities and limitations of building adaptive sustainability allowing for safe drinking water on reserve. To understand what processes consistently intervene in the way of sustainability of safe water in Indigenouscommunities, regulatory frameworks are examined, funding mechanisms are reviewed, and Aboriginal governance is discussed along with the direction that policy should take. Article in Journal/Newspaper First Nations Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Canada |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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language |
English |
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water Indigenous community capacity capital Political science J Social Sciences H |
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water Indigenous community capacity capital Political science J Social Sciences H Jerry P. White Laura Murphy Water and Indigenous Peoples: Canada’s Paradox |
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water Indigenous community capacity capital Political science J Social Sciences H |
description |
The condition of water safety and quality on reserve has been a growing concern in Canada. Despite a substantial amount of funding allocated toward improving water infrastructure on reserve, an alarming proportion of communities face boil and drinking water advisories. To understand why this paradox and problem persists, this article will work through the issues and nuances that have created unsafe drinking water on reserve, proposed remedies, and policy implications. To do so, the role of the Government of Canada is reviewed first because reserve land is under federal jurisdiction. Following this, the article will discuss the standpoints of the Assembly of First Nations and other Indigenous groups on the water crisis, and will draw upon focus groups within First Nations that we conducted. To contextualize the water issue on reserve in Canada, a comparison with the United States is then drawn.One of the main themes of this paper with regard to the issue of safe drinking water on reserve is how the legacy of colonization has limited community capacity. This theme is then discussed in depth by comparing Indigenous to non-Indigenous communities, looking to the social determinants of water quality, and possibilities and limitations of building adaptive sustainability allowing for safe drinking water on reserve. To understand what processes consistently intervene in the way of sustainability of safe water in Indigenouscommunities, regulatory frameworks are examined, funding mechanisms are reviewed, and Aboriginal governance is discussed along with the direction that policy should take. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jerry P. White Laura Murphy |
author_facet |
Jerry P. White Laura Murphy |
author_sort |
Jerry P. White |
title |
Water and Indigenous Peoples: Canada’s Paradox |
title_short |
Water and Indigenous Peoples: Canada’s Paradox |
title_full |
Water and Indigenous Peoples: Canada’s Paradox |
title_fullStr |
Water and Indigenous Peoples: Canada’s Paradox |
title_full_unstemmed |
Water and Indigenous Peoples: Canada’s Paradox |
title_sort |
water and indigenous peoples: canada’s paradox |
publisher |
University of Western Ontario |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doaj.org/article/b9e4258a84114dbc83af3751158178ed |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
First Nations |
genre_facet |
First Nations |
op_source |
International Indigenous Policy Journal, Vol 3, Iss 3, p 3 (2012) |
op_relation |
http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1093&context=iipj https://doaj.org/toc/1916-5781 1916-5781 https://doaj.org/article/b9e4258a84114dbc83af3751158178ed |
_version_ |
1766001790612930560 |