internship program

‘In our culture, water is so much more. It’s sacred.’ New wave of Indigenous operators look to tackle drinking-water woes

‘In our culture, water is so much more. It’s sacred.’ New wave of Indigenous operators look to tackle drinking-water woes

Jamie Lee Parenteau knows that water is where life originates. She knows that it must be protected in every way possible from pollution or waste. The Ojibway woman’s ancestors were able to live off the water as a resource, and to sustain all living things in their care. Yet in some First Nation communities today, water has become a curse. “In our culture, water is so much more. It’s sacred,” says Parenteau, who is from the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation. “Our people could just go to the lake for everything. That was before all these things like the (pulp) mills and mercury poisoning. Our people drink that water and got poisoned by it.” The young mother is a water protector — and she now has a licence that says so.

Waabnoong Bemjiwang Association of First Nations and Water First announce new training internship for Water Treatment Plant Operators

Waabnoong Bemjiwang Association of First Nations and Water First announce new training internship for Water Treatment Plant Operators

The Waabnoong Bemjiwang Association of First Nations (WBAFN), a tribal council with six member First Nations in Northern Ontario, and Canadian charity Water First Education & Training Inc. announce their partnership to deliver a drinking water treatment and environmental water science internship program for young Indigenous adults. Approximately 12 interns will be recruited from six participating First Nations communities across the tribal council’s region to pursue Operator in Training (OIT) and Water Quality Analyst (WQA) certifications.