TW: Suicide
Oftentimes, we don’t really put much thought into where our water comes from. All we have to do is turn on the tap and clean, filtered water flows out of the tap. This leads to many people thinking that is it okay to carelessly contribute to excessive water waste. It completely goes over our heads that water is a precious and limited resource that we need to cherish. We need to be socially aware that not everyone is as privileged to have constant access to clean water and has to go through excessive means to get clean drinking water. One might think that in Canada, this might not be such a pressing issue. There’s the idea that only third-world countries have difficulties getting clean water. However, this is not the case. In First Nation communities all around Canada, there are still many boil-water advisories. Having clean, drinkable water is a quintessential human right and we should do anything that is in our power to make water accessible for all.
In a recent audit done by the federal government, it appears that there are still 60 boil-water advisories in 41 First Nation communities. Five years ago, the Liberal Party set a goal to aim towards ridding all advisories by the end of March 2021. However, it seems like many Indigenous communities are to live without drinkable water for many years to come. We are slowly taking a step in the right direction as 100 adversaries have been lifted in the past five years. Nonetheless, there is still plenty to be done by the government to fix the issue at hand. The policy for water advisory Indigenous services has not been updated in over 30 years. The government is simply not doing enough to fix the issue as of now. Although the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the government’s ability to fix these problems at hand, the audit found that we were behind the anticipated timeline to combat the clean water crisis. This is exactly why we need to rise up and support First Nation communities to advocate for accessible clean drinking water.
One of the communities that faced years of hardships are the Neskantaga First Nations. It has been over twenty-five years and they are still under the boil water advisory. The government had offered a lot of empty promises to them, however, it seems like nothing has been done to fix the problem at hand. Previously, it was promised that they will receive an upgraded water treatment method in 2018. However, due to the countless issues with logistics and construction, not a single thing has been changed. Many of the First Nations people are still living without access to a basic human right and that is simply not okay. In October of last year, those who are a part of the Neskantaga First Nations were forcefully evacuated from their homes due to their water supply being contaminated. This has become a common occurrence to them as it has happened in the years prior as well. This enraged those in the community and led to the youth to stage a protest raising awareness and demanding change.
There are many issues that the Indigenous people face due to the systematic racism and colonialism of the past. It seems as if the First Nations people are not being treated as human beings. The constant struggle for clean water is something that is deeply rooted in the poor infrastructure that was built years ago. There were already problems to begin with. Now, it is incredibly difficult to have a sustainable way for the First Nations people to get water as these systems are prone to failure. It is incredibly disheartening to see those living in such terrible conditions. As a result of having poor living conditions, their mental health is greatly impacted. This can lead to mental illnesses like depression and suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately, a community member of Neskantaga passed away from suicide in November of last year. It is despairingly sad how those who first inhabited Canada are unable to access the rich resources that the land provides. We must not brush off communities with boil water advisories anymore.
The problem at hand does not only include the need for new water systems for the First Nation communities but also accounting for the longevity of these systems as well. It is extremely costly to be constantly repairing these treatment plants that were poorly built in the past. In the case of the Neskantaga community, their water treatment plant has been poorly functioning ever since it was built in 1993. This resulted in their funding being spent on temporary fixes and are unable to have a fully functioning water system. Their situation right now is not sustainable at all, there needs to be enough funding for maintenance when a new system is built. However, it costs millions of dollars in repairs and it seems that the government is not allocating enough of their budget towards the issue at hand. In the light of their situation, the government has promised another strategy for fixing the problem. They are planning for a full-time water system operator at all times to be in charge of the maintenance. It requires a lot of skill to be constantly maintaining the treatment plant to ensure that it is working at all times which is why it would be extremely beneficial to have a professional on-site. However, it is estimated that this new plan could take up to five years to implement a sustainable plan for the future.
The lack of clean water supply has been detrimental to Indigenous communities all over Canada with many suffering decades under boil-water advisories. They are simply sick and tired of the years of forceful evacuations and letters to the government. We need to hold the government accountable for their promises and give First Nation communities resources to build and maintain their water treatment plants at any cost.
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