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Concerns about water access in Indigenous communities go well beyond persistent drinking water advisories, two Indigenous leaders say. Both Iqaluit Deputy Mayor Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster and Samson Cree Councillor Mario Swampy said there's still more work to do in the wake of the $8 billion settlement reached recently in two class action lawsuits against the federal government over boil water advisories.
The Shingwauk Anishinaabe Students Association hosted a talk with Autumn Peltier and her mother Stephanie Peltier, “Our Water, Our Future: A Conversation with Water Defenders.” This talk was in alignment with the Sugar Moon, which is celebrated as the Anishinaabe New Year. This marks the time of year when the sweet water begins to run, and the medicine it produces balances the blood and provides healing.
Canada is one of the wealthiest and most water-rich countries in the world. Yet many of its First Nations communities continue to lack safe drinking water — a basic human right. As of February, 61 Indigenous reserves were under long-term drinking water advisories, half of which remain unresolved after more than a decade. These water advisories warn people to either boil water before use, not to consume it, or avoid it altogether because of toxicity levels.
