‘Action is better than words’: syilx Elder calls for better protection of water and land
K̓ninm̓tm̓ taʔ n̓q̓ʷic̓tn̓s Wilfred ‘Grouse’ Barnes led a water ceremony during a World Rivers Day community cleanup event
Water Stories
We’re featuring Indigenous water stories
IndigiNews is launching a series of stories around protecting oceans, lakes, rivers and more
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.
TMX continued work in river for two weeks after salmon controversy
After residents and activists rang alarm bells during early salmon run on Aug. 7, pipeline workers continued in Kw’ikw’iya:la River until Aug. 21
Wet’suwet’en, Coast Salish leaders share solidarity in pipeline fights
‘We could never move forward on our own, it must be all of us together,’ said Hereditary Chief Namoks during stop in ‘Vancouver’
Púti kwu aláʔ (we are still here): Sinixt people journey ancestral waters after court victory
Decades after displacement and attempted erasure, Sinixt people and supporters crossed the colonial border to canoe through their lands in ‘British Columbia’
sməlqmíx declares Ashnola Corridor as an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area
Through practising traditional syilx laws, the Lower Similkameen Indian Band will protect the territory’s water and tmixʷ
Seaweed sovereignty: Cultivating kelp resurgence in W̱SÁNEĆ waters through new commercial farm
The seaweed farm partnership has more people out on the water than in previous years. It’s creating jobs, and nurturing growth within the community.
