We’re featuring Indigenous water stories

Water is not only all around us, but part of us — whether we live along the ocean, near the lake or beside a river, it’s a sacred part of who we are and how we nourish ourselves and our communities.

Indigenous people have been stewarding these waterways since time out of mind, however when we hear about water in the news, it often excludes these perspectives — or minimizes them in favour of colonial science.

This is why, in 2023, IndigiNews will be featuring Indigenous water stories from our coverage areas in so-called “B.C.” Last year, we received a grant from the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation that allowed us to start this work. We sent reporter Aaron Hemens to write extensively about the nk’mip (Osoyoos Lake) Water Forum in October (he published three stories: here, here and here), and focused on featuring other stories involving water including this one about the Quw’utsun Sta’lo’ (Cowichan River), and this one about herring conservation in the heart of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh homelands.

But we’ve only just started this important work, and we’re looking to deepen it. From first-person stories about the significance of certain water-based places, to investigative reporting, to photography, we are currently looking to commission water stories from storytellers of all kinds located in “B.C.,” and are also accepting tips and ideas for our journalists to pursue.

In the face of a climate crisis and other threats to the environment, we can’t think of a better time to feature and uplift Indigenous perspectives and knowledge on this life-giving resource.