Grant: Operating Grant: Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research- Dev Grants

Water security is a fundamental necessity for life and good health. Water security is defined as adequate quality and quantity of water on a regular basis to meet human, economic, and environmental needs. Chronic water insecurity threatens lives, livelihoods, and culture in many of our Canadian Indigenous communities. This is partly evidenced by the fact that 78 long-term drinking water advisories (defined as in place for more than one year) and 35 short-term drinking water advisories currently affect First Nations communities in Canada. These circumstances impact people's internationally endorsed rights to health, water, and sanitation, but also impact their cultural and spiritual rights. They also prevent communities from taking on the responsibilities for environmental sustainability that go along with those rights. To redress the water-related health challenges faced by Indigenous communities in Canada, the proposed initiative will establish an Indigenous water-health advisory circle, review existing documents that look at effective network building and Indigenous water-health indicators, assess an existing network based out of the University of Saskatchewan, and develop a larger network through regional community gatherings to better understand the water-health challenges, strengths, and needs of participating communities. In undertaking this research, we will be able to i) co-build a research network focused on water-health challenges faced by rural and remote Indigenous communities in Canada; ii) develop ways to measure the effectiveness of the network; iii) establish 'wise' practices for implementing and sustaining a research network; and iv) contribute to reconciliation among Indigenous and non-Indigenous people with particular attention to Indigenous women who provide leadership around water issues.