What is the name of your organization?
University of Saskatchewan
What is the name of your solution?
Indigenous Water Sovereignty
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Connecting Indigenous communities and empowering Indigenous youth towards their collective Water Sovereignty, using various technologies.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Saskatoon, SK, Canada
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
CAN
What type of organization is your solution team?
Other, including part of a larger organization (please explain below)
If you selected Other, please explain here.
We are a community-engaged and driven research team operating within the University of Saskatchewan.
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
Canada’s colonial legacy is reflected in the ongoing water challenges faced by remote Indigenous communities. The lack of access to safe drinking water is not only a national concern but also part of a broader global issue affecting Indigenous Peoples worldwide. Currently, approximately 33 First Nations communities remain under long-term drinking water advisories in Canada. In provinces like Saskatchewan, home to one of the largest Indigenous populations in Canada, many remote communities continue to struggle with limited access to safe drinking water (Acharibasam et al., 2024). These conditions have contributed to a rise in health issues, including kidney-related illnesses. The ongoing marginalization of Indigenous communities in water governance, along with the lack of recognition for Indigenous self-determination and water sovereignty, are key factors exacerbating the problem (Hurlbert & Datta, 2022). Research has shown that improving access to safe drinking water requires that Indigenous communities have jurisdiction over their water resources (Acharibasam et al., 2024; Hurlbert et al., 2024). Technological tools, such as mobile water quality and quantity monitoring equipment, present a valuable opportunity for Indigenous communities to reclaim control over their water systems and assert sovereignty in meaningful and practical ways.
What is your solution?
Our solution is equipping communities with technology to measure their local reservoirs for (1) water quality and (2) water quantity using digital sensors and data platforms. These tools allow for real-time tracking of water conditions, supporting (3) water sovereignty to make informed decisions and respond to changes in their water systems.
1: Using GPS-navigated technology, water depth, temperature, fish, and its underlying structures (i.e. vegetation or submerged objects) will be measured.
2: The community will independently collect water samples while they are on the land with Knowledge Keepers and Elders after receiving sample collection kits and training. The samples will be analyzed by an environmental analytical laboratory to measure chemicals, pesticides, and water quality. Our solution strives to build the relevant infrastructure needed to adequately house the water samples in the community before testing and ensuring the samples are returned after.
3: Importantly, our approach to Indigenous water sovereignty goes beyond technical fixes. It respects and integrates traditional knowledge and cultural relationships with water, recognizing that water stewardship is deeply rooted in identity, spirituality, and land-based practices. Combining technology with traditional values and ways of knowing, being and doing allows our solution to support both environmental and cultural resilience.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Two remote Indigenous communities, Star Blanket Cree Nation (SBCR) and the Northern Métis Village of Cumberland House (CH) in Saskatchewan, Canada, are directly impacted with this solution. Both communities have been historically underserved by provincial and federal systems, experiencing ongoing infrastructure failures, limited access to safe drinking water, and exclusion from water governance decisions. While SBCN is currently under a boil water advisory, CH has been impacted by the E. B. Campbell Hydroelectric Station and has declared a state of emergency in 2023 from low and unsafe drinking water levels (Acharibasam et al., 2024). This water crisis has resulted in the destruction of resources and livelihoods as traditional, spiritual, and cultural practices have all been impacted (Acharibasam et al., 2024).
Youth are often overlooked in environmental decision-making, but will hold the potential to lead long-term and sustainable solutions. By equipping youth with water monitoring tools, training in environmental science, and mentorship from Elders and Knowledge Keepers, we are building skills in leadership with cultural and western knowledge, to protect the community’s most vital resource, water. The solution addresses immediate needs like detecting and responding to water safety risks, and systemic barriers by embedding capacity within community for long-term water stewardship.