Executive Summary - As provincial legislation pertaining to water is being proposed and federal strategies are being implemented, First Nations are voicing concern about not only their lack of input in these initiatives, but also the virtual absence of any cultural reference therein. The Chiefs of Ontario, in collaboration with Environment Canada, embarked on a project to capture some of the First Nations’ traditional views on taking care of water, and how this knowledge can fit with current government source water protection plans. This report is an informative compilation of the Elders’ and Traditional Knowledge Holders’ views of the appropriate role of Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge in Source Water Protection. In addition, this report contains some of the concerns and questions regarding the implementation of Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge in Source Water Protection regimes in Ontario raised by policy makers and people responsible for water stewardship. Finally, the report contains some suggestion on the ways in which the challenges of integrating ATK in Source Water Protection can be addressed.
This project was organized as a 2-day workshop attended by traditional knowledge holders from the four main First Nations cultures in Ontario: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), Anishinaabe (Ojibway and Oji-Cree) and Mushkegowuk (James Bay Cree). These traditional knowledge holders were able to provide an overview of the results of a previous workshop on Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge on water held in 2006. Also invited to the workshop were representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of the Environment, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, as well as representatives of water Conservation Authorities. In addition, representatives from Environment Canada were also present as a resource. The purpose of this project was to provide a forum for communication and to explore how Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge should be considered in source water protection decision-making in Ontario.
The workshops were defined by a strong desire to see Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge become a more important aspect of policy making regarding source water protection, and environmental stewardship in general. The workshop highlighted the need for: good communication between parties; respect for community traditions; support for First Nations; and the implementation of approaches that are iterative/parallel.
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