News

Collaborative consent provides a powerful way to tackle difficult questions about how Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments can work together to make decisions about water and land use.

Canada’s relationships with Indigenous peoples—and the institutions, laws, and policies governing these relationships—remain fraught with challenges 150 years into Confederation. These tensions are evident in freshwater governance in B.C. where First Nations are excluded from the major decision-making regime; yet the outcomes have a significant impact on Indigenous rights and important cultural,

On June 28th and 29th, 15 Indigenous water leaders from across B.C. came together at the First Nations Water Governance Roundtable in Smithers, B.C. on Wet’suwet’en Territory in the Skeena region. Each participant came from a First Nation community that has made significant advancements in the management and governance of fresh water in its territory. The Roundtable provided a space for peer learning and strategic collaboration, with the goal of advancing the collective vision of Indigenous-led freshwater governance in British Columbia.

In 1993, the United Nations designated March 22nd as World Water Day. People gather to highlight the pivotal role water plays in our everyday lives and reflect on how to best manage this critical resource. In Canada, it has become custom to gather throughout that whole week (Canada Water Week), with events planned in watersheds across the country. Here at the POLIS Water Sustainability Project, we were buzzing with activity throughout the whole month,