Keepers of the Water Gathering produces Water Declaration
Time is of the essence in spill containment
Treaty 7 Chiefs call for suspension of S. Saskatchwan River Basin Plan
Keepers of the Water Gathering produces Water Declaration
By Dene Skylar
During the first week of September, 2006 First Nations leaders, community members, activists, advisors, stewardship councils, governments, and industry from the Yukon, Denendeh (Dene traditional territory), northern BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan gathered to discuss water issues concerning the Mackenzie Basin in Liidlii Kue, Denendeh (Ft. Simpson, NT).
Water Gathering Drum Ceremony. Grand Chief Herb Norwegian 3rd from right with drum.
The event, called “Keepers of the Water Gathering,” was hosted by the Dehcho First Nations and sponsored by the Canadian Boreal Initiative. Stewardship, awareness and action were the what organizers of the Gathering noted, “Our goal is to share up-to-date information on recent developments relating to water across the basin and within each traditional territory, identify information gaps and potential mechanisms to address those gaps; meet potential allies who can assist us to strengthen Aboriginal and Treaty rights; and develop an agenda for action.”
The event was well attended. Participants spoke about the importance of conservation and protection of water. Leaders and Elders noted the cultural, environmental, economic and spiritual importance of clean and abundant water. Dehcho First Nations Grand Chief, Herb Norwegian, spoke about the importance of stewardship and the development of a common strategy that addresses the full scope for water management so that future generations and the whole ecosystem’s health would be considered when it comes to current development practices.
In the Northwest Territories, First Nations, Métis and Inuit groups have worked hard to get governments to take a holistic approach to land and water management. The gathering continued with this important work. Many great moments occurred at the gathering. Elders talked the first day around a traditional camp fire. Margaret Trudeau provided a very informed talk with a rising full moon in the background glistening off the Dehcho (Big River or Mackenzie River). It was a beautiful setting.
A bannock-making competition, canoe races, drum dances, and traditional hand games added excitement to the gathering. The gathering allowed people to share with each other what they are seeing happening with the water in their traditional territories. Liidlii Kue First Nation Chief Keyna Norwegian, Co-Chaired the gathering and confirmed the success of the event by stating, “One of the main outcomes was that First Nations from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon and NWT and other participants expressed a desire to work together… work in unity and move forward in a working relationship together to protect our waters and environment.”
With large scale industrial resource development rapidly approaching the north, the Keepers of the Water Gathering was very timely. All participants were adamant about the need for action now. This resulted in the production of “The Keepers of the Water Declaration.” People left wanting an annual gathering, wanting more involvement from industry and all levels of government. The Dehcho First Nations made it clear that they want these people to come and spend time with them to make sure there is clean healthy water now and in the future. One day Aboriginal groups like the DFN and concerned citizens will be thanked for their determined efforts to seek honorable ways to manage, protect, conserve and be stewards of the environment for all life on earth. The declaration can be found at www.nativejournal.ca.
THE KEEPERS OF THE WATER DECLARATION
We the peoples gathered in Liidlii Kue, Denendeh, from September 5-8th, 2006, having come together as Keepers of the Water, connected as peoples residing in the vast basin including Lake Athabasca, Nsededha (Slave river), Tucho/Tu’neda (Great Slave Lake), and Dehcho.
RECALLING THAT the Creator sent Zhambáhdézha as a messenger to the Indigenous peoples who live on Mother Earth, bringing us sacred laws to live by. We have been taught that the land is our Mother, and the waters are her blood that sustain life for all peoples, lands and creation. We are born from our Mother Earth and we are inseparable from her.
AFFIRMING THAT water is essential to life, and the right to life constitutes a fundamental human right, recognized by all countries of the world.
FURTHER AFFIRMING that as Indigenous peoples, since time immemorial, have fundamental rights to live on our own lands and to survive as peoples. As a sacred trust we have been given responsibility from the Creator to ensure the integrity of all waters in our lands in all its many forms – from the aquifers deep underground, to the rich marshlands, rivers and lakes that connect and sustain our communities, to the glaciers on the high mountains, to the rains and snow that restore and replenish our Mother Earth in an unending cycle of renewal.
RESPECTING that our sacred laws have not been honoured and that our Mother Earth is being abused out of ignorance and greed.
CONVINCED that our fundamental human rights with respect to water must be acknowledged and respected by all others.
CONVINCED that climate change, together with the unprecedented impacts of oil and gas extraction, oil sands developments, land conversion, deforestation, hydroelectric development, mining activities, industrial discharges, atmospheric pollution and water withdrawals on our waters, are diminishing the quantity and quality of water in our basin, other present and any future activities that change our land.
BEARING WITNESS THAT we are seeing the impacts of these changes before our eyes. When we travel our lands and waterways we see receding shorelines and depleted populations of fish and wildlife. Exotic species of plants and animals are encroaching, while indigenous species are disappearing as conditions change too quickly for them to adapt. The land and wildlife are being poisoned by pollution and contaminants. The very rhythms of the seasons are no longer familiar to us.
RECOGNIZING that causes of these changes are many and complex, but they are all caused by human action, government and industry, and we as the peoples of the Basin all share a common fate.
ASSERTING our rights to defend and protect the body and blood of our Mother Earth according to our sacred laws. Demanding that immediate steps must be taken to ensure that the spirit of the water, which sustains all life within the Basin, be protected today for our ancestors and future generations.
WE PROCLAIM THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES:
Water is a sacred gift, an essential element that sustains and connects all life. It is not a commodity to be bought or sold. All people share an obligation to cooperate to ensure that water in all of its forms is protected and conserved with regard to the needs of all living things today and for future generations tomorrow.
All peoples in the Basin have a fundamental human right to water that must be recognized nationally and internationally, and incorporated into domestic law and policy. Progress towards the realization of the right to water must be monitored, and appropriate institutional mechanisms developed to ensure that these rights are implemented.
These rights require water undiminished in quality, quantity or natural rate of flow, to access waterbodies for purposes of harvesting, travel and navigation, and to prevent or seek redress for any action that may affect these rights. These rights extend to water as part of a healthy environment, and recognize spiritual and cultural values, taking into consideration the needs of the most disadvantaged and of future generations.
The use of water for industrial and commercial purposes is fundamentally limited by the requirement to not substantially alter the quantity, quality or natural rate of flow of the water within the Basin. The full costs of such water use decisions must be internalized and assumed according to the principle that polluters must be held accountable. This principle includes environmental bonds that would be great enough to ensure full remediation and reclamation from potential damages.
All governments and industry—have common responsibilities to protect and conserve water, and must sustain commitments to implement these responsibilities.
The precautionary approach must be widely applied in all decisions or actions that may affect the quality, quantity or natural rate of flow of water within the Basin.
Comprehensive watershed management and land use planning to safeguard water sources and maintain ecosystem integrity across the Basin must be implemented in advance of industrial allocations or development decisions.
The health and integrity of the Basin as a whole will only be achieved through integration and cooperation at all levels. Measures to protect and conserve water must be enacted and
implemented by all levels of government.
Time is of the essence in spill containment
By Malcolm McColl
When a spill occurs the success of the clean up depends on the response time. "It's that initial response that is so critical, whether the spill occurs on water or land. David Tate works for Versatech Products Inc. that manufactures booms and equipment in the Lower Mainland to collect and contain oil spills around the world.
Versatech markets their own equipment and recently combined with Sumas Environmental Services Inc. to expand the range of environmental spill and prevention services delivered. Sumas Environmental was strong working with clean up for land spills and Versatech has containment booms for rivers, even swift moving rivers.
Tate said, "We want to equip communities that live in coastal areas of Canada with lifestyles dependent on clean beaches and waters, with local seafood resources. These people have so much at stake in the coastal waters." In the wake of the Queen of the North ferry sinking at Hartley Bay, Chief Robert Hill commented about emergency preparedness in the region and said he hoped the government received a wake-up call about North coast environmental disaster preparedness.
Coastal people may well agree that they need better equipment and supplies for personnel on hand to deal with environmental disasters. Where does the money come from? The containment booms around the Queen of the North equaled about 6,000 feet at a minumum of $8 a foot for the boom. (Prices for booms can range from $4 to $25 a foot depending upon the application.)
Versatech Products Inc wants to convey to communities is that the company is willing to do things cost-effectively on the consumer end of things. "Isolated communities can be equipped and do a lot to protect the nation's natural resources and environment if there is the willingness to be prepared."
Manufacturing is done in Richmond where Versatech makes containment booms, deployment systems and recovery systems for ocean and harbour spills. "We are a Canadian company and want to put equipment into communities where they feel the need to be able to respond. We have the ability to make B.C. ready to fight spills." Tate noted, "Our booms use PVC Canadian made, where we work closely with PVC Naizil of Ontario to have the PVC made to our specs."
The new parent, Sumas Environmental, has fully authorized facilities for the acceptance of waste for companies with hazardous pollutants to dispose of, remembering that improper disposal of pollutants can result in severe fines. Sumas is a full service waste management and environmental services company specializing in all phases of site remediation, industrial and hazardous waste management and pollution prevention.
The goal for Versatech is to become a greater service, delivering environmental remediation and spill prevention in all sectors. (Learn about either side of this environmental industry player by visiting either www.versatech.com or www.sumas.net).
Treaty 7 Chiefs call for suspension of S. Saskatchwan River Basin Plan
The Chiefs of the Treaty 7 First Nations are united in their call for the Province of Alberta to suspend implementation of the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB) Water Management Plan. Alberta's approach to the management of water in the SSRB has failed to address the Treaty water rights of First Nations in southern Alberta and, in fact, does not go far enough to responsibly manage water in a way that considers the interests of all Albertans.
The Treaty Seven Chiefs, along with their Grand Chief, Sandford Big Plume, characterized the SSRB Plan as having potentially devastating effects on the environment and economic development in southern Alberta, including on First Nation reserves. The SSRB Plan closes the region to new water licenses, protects the interests of those who already have water licenses, and implements a market in existing water licenses to meet new water demands. These measures put control of our most important resources, water, in the hands of relatively few people whose water licenses were granted in an era when water was plenty. The Treaty 7 Chiefs also challenged Alberta's claim that the SSRB Plan does what the Province claims it is intended to.
"The Province has given away more water than it has and now claims that simply stopping new allocations will fix the problem. It's like having a spending problem, you can stop the spending but your deficit and debt won't go away," stated Chief Sandford Big Plume.
"The Province did not consult with Treaty 7 First Nations. The Treaty 7 First Nations have a Treaty right to enough water for the development of reserve lands. Each of the Treaty 7 Nations has aggressive plans for economic development on our reserves to provide jobs, a future and hope to our people. We cannot do these things without water and Alberta has simply failed to address this reality," concluded Chief Big Plume.