Skip to content
Give now and double your impact thanks to Canada Life!
Water First

In My Words

Keep up to date with our programming activities.

The Sound of Water: My Journey to Water First

It was 2021. I was sitting at my desk, tapping to the beat of water droplets in my headphones. I was in the process of creating my second album Clean Water. Taking a quick break to scroll social media, I happened across Water First’s Instagram account. I couldn’t have imagined at the time how these two seemingly separate events would intersect to change my life. 

I’m a Red River Métis artist and musician, now based in eastern Ontario. My first album, released in early 2021, was largely experimental, a way of finding my sound and creative process. I was surprised by its success on streaming platforms, and I wanted to find a way to give back with my second album – to my fans, my mentors, my community, and all the people who supported my journey – and create something that had a social impact. That’s when I thought of Water First.

Water First’s approach to education and the value the organization places on the knowledge and leadership of Indigenous youth really resonated with me. A few years ago, I even founded my own organization with the same values: Safe Water Studios. To date, we have hosted over a dozen workshops for Indigenous youth that have focused on the intersection of art and clean water solutions. I have an understanding of the water crisis and feel that the approach Water First takes in partnering with communities and focusing on education is such a key component to moving forward. I admired that Water First prioritizes long-term thinking through education and recognizes the importance of Indigenous youth leading the way in these efforts. Supporting them just felt right.

With my second album nearly complete, I reached out to Water First on social media. I liked a few of their posts and was pleasantly surprised to see they supported me back! Feeling bold, I decided that for the Clean Water album, I would donate the proceeds of the stream sales on Spotify toward Water First’s efforts. Just a few weeks later, after a short conversation about fundraising, the release date was upon me. I was thrilled to see the support from Water First for the album. Their support led to engagement with more and more people. Even now, years later, I have people who reach out to share their support for the album. It means a lot to me. 

I continued to follow Water First on social media and really enjoyed the balance of meaningful work and excellent creative content. In late 2022, when I saw an opening for a communications internship, I jumped at the chance to bring my skills to the team.

Here I am, only a few years after I first connected with Water First, working with the people who create the content and facilitate the great work the organization does alongside community partners.

I never thought those first few notes of introduction would turn into a full-on crescendo in such a short time.  

Doing meaningful work is important in all aspects of my life – from making music to serving on the Peterborough and Wapiti District Métis council. In my first few weeks of working with the Water First team, I could see the passion for what they do, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it!

I consider myself a storyteller as much as I am an artist. I hope to bring my experience and artistry to Water First, along with my life experience as a Red River Métis artist. I also have a background in producing visual media, so I’m excited to start creating! 

My work with Water First keeps me busy. In my spare time, I’m usually working on a creative project or planning our next workshop with Safe Water Studios. Or hiking when it’s not below zero! I’m branching out into media other than music, including visual work and writing – two areas I’ve really been able to develop at Water First. 

My best advice to young artists is to take a chance! I never imagined I’d be a part of the Water First team a couple of years ago. It’s amazing the places life will take you when you dance to the beat of your own drum. Marsii!

If you’d like to support the Clean Water album, you can find it here:

Sunny Days in Nunavik

Written by: Adrianna Bilinski, Indigenous School Engagement Manager at Water First.

The third week of January, in the middle of winter. That was when Dillon Koopmans and I, both from the Schools Program team at Water First, chose to travel to northern Quebec to the Nunavik region. We traveled to the coast of the Arctic Ocean to visit two Inuit villages, Kangirsuk (from January 19-24) and Kuujjuaq (from January 24-27). Despite the crisp temperatures, each community gave us a warm welcome.

Kangirsuk
Kujjjuaq

The trip was almost too beautiful for words. Beyond the beauty of the landscape and the kindness of the people, the educational aspects of this trip were beautiful as well. As the Schools Programs team travels to different partner communities, it becomes more and more clear that each community’s needs are unique. For example, in Kangirsuk, we had a special request to use our programming as a jumping-off point for their high school science fair projects, the theme of which this year is water. And of course we agreed! We had lots of fun expanding some of our water quality lessons so the students could learn in more detail about all the different ways we can study water.

In Kangirsuk at Sautjuit School, we had the privilege of working with Grades 3-5 as well as with high school students. Each of the primary level teachers we worked with wished we could do more workshops with their class, and happily expressed their desire for us to return. Even the students passing in the hall asked repeatedly if we were coming back to their class for a lesson. These comments gave the whole team such a warm feeling. It is nice to be valued and wanted in a community when we are so far from home. More importantly, we work to inspire youth to take an interest in water science – and in Kangirsuk, these special moments made us feel like we succeeded. 

The following week in Kuujjuaq, we had a special request to work with the Secondary 2 (Grade 7) classes. This was very different from our work in Kangirsuk, and equally rewarding. In Kuujjuaq we spent less time in a science lab setting, and more time out in the community with a field trip to their local lake, and then to the water treatment plant. Along the way, we helped students make connections between the quality of the water in the lake and  the water treatment process. 

This was a truly special trip – the students and for us. We saw students in the hall from each of the classes explaining what the other class would get to do next or comparing how the other class did on the knowledge test.

Each community was visibly grateful for the time we spent in the school, and both expressed excitement for our return. We look forward to being back in Nunavik to strengthen our existing relationships with these two communities, and maybe even venture to a few more if they’ll have us!

Outside of the scope of our work, we got to see some amazing Northern Lights, and even had the opportunity to see a circus performance from the Nunavik crew heading to the Arctic Games. These elements of the Indigenous culture enrich our experience beyond our professional goals, and make us long for the next trip. Reciprocal learning is a Water First value and a theme we keep in mind as we travel. We love to learn and grow even more than we like to teach on some days. 

Keep your eyes and ears open for the next educational adventure!

From Connection to Community – Jacey’s Path to Water First

Legend of the Blackfoot Iniskim (Buffalo Stone)

Long ago, the Blackfoot People lived in tipis and were nomadic. They followed the Inni “Buffalo” as their primary source for food, clothing and shelter. During a time when the buffalo became scarce, the Blackfoot People suffered a great famine. The Iniskim “Buffalo Stone” presented itself to a young Blackfoot woman and told her to use it and its songs in ceremony, promising in doing this that the Buffalo would return. The woman took the Buffalo Stone back to her camp and provided it to the old people who made ceremony with it and sang its song. This powerful stone called the Buffalo back to the Blackfoot people thus saving them from starvation.

The Buffalo Stone is considered sacred to the Blackfoot people, given to them by the Creator to bring assistance, luck and prosperity so as to never be without.

– Desmond Jackson, owner and founder of Buffalo Stone Clothing Co.

Sometimes, the most rewarding relationships emerge from unexpected connections. Take this story from Jacey Bonertz, a Technical Trainer & Project Coordinator with Water First.

Here, Jacey talks about how she came to work with Water First, and how she's able to do meaningful work that gives back to the community. And it all started with a chance encounter on Instagram.

It was my last semester of Chemical Engineering at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after graduation, but I was confident that I wanted to work in water. I also had aspirations to work with Indigenous youth. 

Checking Instagram one day, I saw some relatives posting about Buffalo Stone Clothing Co. and how the company donating some of their profits to support an organization called Water First. I was intrigued. I loved what Buffalo Stone Clothing Co. was doing as an Indigenous-owned business (plus Desmond, the owner, is from my community, the Piikani Nation!), so I decided to learn more about Water First.

After looking into the organization a bit more, I saw that their values aligned with my own, and combined my interests in working with water and with Indigenous youth! I was excited, and reached out to them to get a better sense of what they did and what path I would need to take to do similar work in the future. I connected with Jag Saini, Water First’s Project Manager & Instructor. He told me that Water First was hiring soon and I should apply. I did – and I got the job!

After landing the job, I decided to purchase a couple of items from Buffalo Stone Clothing Co. as a silent “thank you” for the connection to Water First. I ended up having a conversation with Desmond, the owner and founder of the company, and explained to him how his brand introduced me to Water First.

This is Desmond's personal Tipi. It's the Buffalo Stone Tipi.

Buffalo Stone Clothing Co.

“Like all things in life, Buffalo Stone Clothing Co. also has a creation story. Buffalo Stone Clothing Co. was created after many conversations had about all the negativity and division we were seeing in the world. We were tired of feeling helpless, so we began thinking of ways we could take action in a meaningful way. We knew we wanted to focus on supporting, empowering and advocating for marginalized Indigenous people as this has always been something important to both of us. Soon after, Buffalo Stone Clothing Co. was established.”

– Desmond Jackson, owner and founder of Buffalo Stone Clothing Co.

Since starting with Water First, I’ve supported and led workshops and tutorials for the young Indigenous adults training in the Drinking Water Internship Program. I’ve assisted in designing and developing content for workshops, supporting the Alumni Network for graduates, and creating spaces within the organization for staff at Water First to connect and enable reciprocal learning.

As an Indigenous woman in engineering, I have had to overcome barriers to establish myself in this field. I would not be where I am today without the support of my community, the Piikani Nation, and I am mindful of how that support allowed me to get to where I am today. It is of utmost importance to me that I honour this and advocate for Indigenous communities through my work. There is an underrepresentation of women in STEM, let alone Indigenous women, and I want nothing more than the opportunity to be the role model I would have liked to have when I started working in this field.

The skills I’ve gained through my previous engineering internship experiences are invaluable, but I have always known there was more I wanted to accomplish through my work. Breaking down stereotypes and increasing awareness for Indigenous issues has always been a priority to me, but I knew I eventually wanted to find work with an organization that puts the needs of the community first and maintains sustainable and environmentally-conscious work practices. And I think I’ve found that with Water First.

The story of my path to Water First highlights how good things happen when you support people doing meaningful work in the world. Not only did I get a job where I can put my unique gifts to good use, but I also have the opportunity to give back to the Indigenous community and support the good work of others from Piikani Nation. Thanks to Buffalo Stone Clothing Co. and others who believe in our work, Water First can continue to collaborate with more communities to support access to safe, clean water for everyone.

Giving Back

“We leave it in Creator’s hands, and he’ll never deal us a hand we can’t play.

I was fortunate enough to be transferred an actual buffalo stone and the buffalo stone tipi when I was going through personal tribulations, and now everything has been working out for me. So I am using it’s power to help all Indigenous people by donating to Water First.”

– Desmond Jackson, owner and founder of Buffalo Stone Clothing Co.

For every piece of Buffalo Stone Clothing Co. apparel or merchandise sold, 10% will be donated to Water First. Water First is a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to working with Indigenous communities across Canada. Water First focuses on both drinking water and environmental water concerns, as well as Water Science education for youth.

Monitoring the impacts of climate change with Brunswick House First Nation

Beth Wright, Water First’s Communications Assistant, reflects on her trip to Chapleau as part of a climate monitoring and training project for the Mountbatten Reserve.

The Brunswick House First Nation (BHFN) Lands and Resources Department was seeking information on the impacts of climate change after the community noticed changes to their lands and waters over the last few decades. In June 2022, Water First partnered with BHFN to create a climate monitoring plan for the Mountbatten Reserve to track those impacts. My colleagues Cory Savage and Tanya Sackaney from our Environmental and Indigenous Schools Water Programs began the project by identifying six survey sites on six different lakes in Mountbatten and providing hands-on training to a three-intern team of young Indigenous adults from BHFN.

That first trip in June laid the foundation for the project. The team placed monitoring devices called water loggers into the lakes to track water level changes over the summer, and the team of interns — Santana, Paradise and Shawn — dedicated two months to sampling those waters to better understand and prevent the effects of climate change.

While I did not attend this first trip, I would be in Brunswick House a little over two months later to help facilitate a communication and data analysis workshop when Water First returned for the second part of the program. 

The purpose of the second trip in late August was to organize the data collected by the interns and prepare a presentation for the BHFN community based on their findings. Cory guided the interns through the process of downloading and graphing data from the water loggers and assisted in reviewing the results to identify potential causes and action plans. Throughout the week-long visit, we also shot videos of the interns speaking about the work being done. Later, we would edit the footage into an opening video for the community presentation. 

At the end of the week, Santana, the lead intern on the project, gave an exceptional presentation. She described the different tests the team had performed and shared the results of those tests to a room full of eager BHFN residents. The community reception was overwhelmingly positive. I heard so many thoughtful questions and responses to the work from a community that is passionate about the preservation of their waterways. After the opening video I even heard a woman behind me whisper to someone, “It could almost make you cry the work these kids put into this.” It was an extremely proud moment for the entire Mountbatten climate monitoring team.

While I did not attend this first trip, I would be in Brunswick House a little over two months later to help facilitate a communication and data analysis workshop when Water First returned for the second part of the program. 

The purpose of the second trip in late August was to organize the data collected by the interns, and prepare a presentation for the BHFN community based on their findings. Cory guided the interns through the process of downloading and graphing data from the water loggers, and assisted in reviewing the results to identify potential causes and action plans. Throughout the week-long visit, we also shot videos of the interns speaking about the work being done. Later, we would edit the footage into an opening video for the community presentation. 

At the end of the week, Santana, the lead intern on the project, gave an exceptional presentation. She described the different tests the team had performed and shared the results of those tests to a room full of eager BHFN residents. The community reception was overwhelmingly positive. I heard so many thoughtful questions and responses to the work from a community that is passionate about the preservation of their waterways. After the opening video I even heard a woman behind me whisper to someone, “It could almost make you cry the work these kids put into this.” It was an extremely proud moment for the entire Mountbatten climate monitoring team.

Paddling Through the Weeds

by Adrianna Bilinski, Indigenous School Engagement Coordinator

Over the last few years, the Schools Program team at Water First has been building strong, lasting relationships with community members at Beausoleil First Nation. We’ve piloted different hands-on water science programs with the local school and watched the students grow – both physically and mentally.

Based on the successful programs we have facilitated together over the past few years, this summer, the community requested that we expand our summer curriculum. Last summer, the Schools Program team delivered our first Summer Credit Program, an 8-week outdoor, experiential learning program that helped give students entering Grade 9 a head start by earning a Geography credit! This year, we expanded the program to work through the Grade 9 Science curriculum, in addition to last year’s Geography curriculum. The addition of a second high school credit over the summer pushed facilitators and students alike to work tirelessly and passionately over the 8-week program with amazing success and outcomes.

The summer began with the students planting their own gardens to maintain throughout the program. They researched which fruits and vegetables should be planted together and why. They learned about how different elements from the periodic table are used or produced by certain vegetables, and this helped them make their choices.

Beyond their gardens, students led a summer-long beach monitoring project. Every week they took water samples and sent them to the local health unit to keep their community advised if E.coli levels were safe for swimming. Students learned more in class about bacteria growth in water by growing our own bacteria in an IDEXX incubator.

Another incredible project that students took the lead on was removing an invasive species called phragmites from one of the lake shores on the island. This project was a great combination of taking care of the community and learning as the summer progressed. 

After the pilot last year, all of our partners were eager to run the program again, including Beausoleil First Nation, Right to Play and the school board. In fact, the success of the initial program inspired the local school board to run their own version of the Summer Credit Program in two other locations, both a replica of the Geography course that ran last summer.

On Christian Island, the Schools Program team at Water First has had the opportunity to work with this particular group of students for three programs prior to this year’s Summer Credit Program. In a survey that was done before the program began this summer, a quarter of the students answered that they were taking the course because they really like Water First programming. One parent even reached out and said that her son “has surely enjoyed this opportunity.” We are so privileged to have the opportunity to know these students and to provide an opportunity for them to have a head start in their high school career!

Experience in a Big City Treatment Plant

Written by: Lori Corbiere, an intern from Wahnapitae First Nation in the Drinking Water Internship Program, and Kendra Driscoll, Water Quality Specialist at Water First.

Hello everyone, my name is Lori Corbiere. My spirit name is White Spotted Eagle Feather, I am the Eagle Clan. I’m 43 years old and I live in Wahnapitae First Nation. I used to be in the law enforcement field before I decided to change my field and work with water.

I believe water is the most important element that our bodies need in order to survive, WATER IS LIFE. I feel this was my true calling: to be a Water Warrior and make sure that our people and cities have clean water to replenish their bodies and lands, but we still need to save water for wildlife and wetlands.

Water First Staff: Kendra Driscoll

Lori is currently a Water First Drinking Water Internship Program intern. The Internship is a 15-month training program where Indigenous adults complete training with Water First in topics related to drinking water treatment and are supported to write Ontario Drinking Water Certification exams. These certifications the interns achieve in the program are what all operators across Ontario must have to work in water treatment plants. When the interns aren’t in training and writing exams, they are working in water treatment plants learning the skills required to operate a plant and accumulating the on-the-job hours needed to become fully certified water treatment plant operators. 

Some Indigenous communities, like Wahnapitae First Nation, do not have centralized water treatment plants, but the Internship Program can still be a valuable training program because it increases community capacity and water quality knowledge.

My Internship placement started in Wahnapitae First Nation, where I followed fellow co-workers around doing water sampling for the mines in our surrounding area, making sure that our water is safe for our people. Because our reserve does not have its own water treatment plant (all of us in Wahnapitae are on sandpoints and wells), I thought it was a great place to start my journey into becoming a water operator! Now I have the knowledge to see our surrounding watershed and where our water is coming from and where it’s flowing to. Cleaning the water at these mines is important before it’s discharged back to the waterways. That is why we test our water frequently throughout the week. 

Even though I gained valuable experience sampling in and around my community, to become a certified drinking water operator, I need 1800 hours working in a water treatment plant. So, the City of Greater Sudbury agreed to take me on so I can start accumulating those hours towards my Class 1 certification!

Water First Staff: Kendra Driscoll

When we approached the City of Greater Sudbury to see if they could host Lori at their plant. They agreed and were eager to support Lori to build her experience and accumulate the hours she needs to obtain her Class 1 Certification.

I am now at the Wanapitei Water Treatment Plant in Coniston, east of Sudbury, where the Plant is a Class 4 treatment plant. Sudbury isn’t the only city it takes care of: the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system reaches and maintains wells, pumps, and analyzers of different water treatment in our Greater Sudbury area, which goes as far as Onaping, Capreol, Markstay, Copper Cliff, etc.

Doing my placement here has been insightful and exciting, and I hope to learn lots on water treatment. All of the operators here are at different levels. Some are waiting to take Class 1, like myself, while others are Class 4 operators that have years of knowledge. Every operator here has their own unique way of running the plant, so it’s nice that I’m learning from these operators along with their little tricks to keep everything flowing nicely.

Maintaining water with the group of water operators here has made me feel that much more confident and compassionate in myself to continue my journey working with water. Their stories on how they became water operators were inspiring and I hope to someday inspire water operators of the future. I hope to tell them that not only am I learning from operators older or the same age, but some are younger than me and I don’t mind it at all. There is so much yet to learn here at the Water Treatment Plant and I have the advantage to learn from other operators on how they do their daily tasks keeping the water safe for everyone around us. So when you do your steps from surface water to water coming out of your taps there’s so much more happening to your water to make it drinkable.

Water First Staff: Kendra Driscoll

Every community’s experience and relationship with water is unique. Not all communities have challenges. Not all have treatment plants. Not all challenges are caused or solved by a water treatment plant. A big part of the challenge is ensuring that communities have capacity, knowledge and technical skills to manage water, and to do that, training programs that specifically support Indigenous adults to gain this experience are essential. That is why it is so valuable for interns to gain experience in the treatment plans and learn about treatment technologies while they work. Gaining knowledge and hands-on experience with treatment technologies allows interns, like Lori, to work someday in their home communities if the opportunity arises, but also opens up job opportunities in other communities, tribal council hubs, or other related industries.

How to Be the Safety Line

How to Be the Safety Line

An Intern's Perspective on the Water First Internship Program

Written by Nick Chapman, Water First Intern from Temagami First Nation.

Young Indigenous adults in Water First’s Drinking Water Internship Program are training to get the greatest results for the environment, learning how to operate in a water treatment plant and eventually becoming a water treatment plant operators.

Water First has developed a close relationship with me and the other interns, who have joined them in the fight for clean drinking water.

Together, we’ve studied how water treatment facilities work, how to filter water in various ways, and have received general training to aid us in the future. We’ve learned about watersheds and water sources, HR policies, water treatment processes, PPE (personal protective equipment) and why it’s used, work health and safety awareness, water quality results, AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) training, community water issues, math and chemistry, and equipment/appliances during the three weeks of virtual training. But there’s way more: we have learned about pipes and valves, wells, how water treatment facilities are placed in an environment, and a whole lot more.

Everyone has their Small Systems Certification accomplished, which made us all extremely excited, and we also have the OIT (Operator-in-Training) Certification. More recently, we wrote our ELC (Entry-Level Course) exams, which happened in November 2021 – everyone passed with flying colours!

Water First Intern: Dyami Tuskin

“I like Water First for all of the training and work opportunities for the First Nations communities.”

“I feel very fortunate to have this amazing opportunity to work with Water First. To better support my community and the protection of clean water for generations to come.”

One of the amazing things that Water Fist has done for the interns was give us a chance to be ourselves, telling stories when we had time, making Jamboards to show our beliefs and goals. That way, even though we were all online, we could feel connected to everyone and not so alone while training. They created a Facebook page and messaging group, so everyone can post pictures, ask questions, talk about what they did at the plants, and overall, to stay connected. Water First interns and instructors have even done some travelling: we’ve gone to Killarney, Sudbury, and we’re working on our own reserves, as well. 

Right now, we are working on Geographic Information System (GIS), learning how to create maps and how to use them correctly. Then, we will be studying for either our Wastewater OIT (Operator-in-Training) Exam or Class 1 Exam. We are all wishing each other good luck!

We have had community members and Elders come in to share their point of view on things, like water treatment plants and water itself. Water First is teaching in different ways, so everyone can learn the way they learn best. Our group of interns and the instructors at Water First have been showing great strength and are constantly proving that we want a better future for our environment and that safe drinking water is the way to go!

“Hello my name is Nick Chapman; I am from Temagami First Nation.

Why I joined this internship was because I just got out of high school and I had no idea what I wanted to do or be, then this internship fell onto my lap out of nowhere and I decided to sign up to give it a try.

Since then, I have loved every minute of it. Working with Water First has been a blessing. I have grown new skills and experiences I’d never thought I would get.

I have taught children at my reserve what Water Treatment Operators are and how water is tested and analyzed. It was amazing seeing my community learning about what I’m trying to be.

My favourite memory Is learning how to be the “Safety Line” as I call it, making sure that everyone gets across the water safely and setting the line-up.

I love how in Water First we are all a team and are working hard to help our First Nation communities.”

A look into the Internship Program:

To learn more about the Drinking Water Internship Program, click here!

Delivering Upstream: A Sibling of the Internship

The Indigenous Schools Water Program (ISWP) delivers workshops and hands-on STEM experiences for school-aged youth to learn about their local watersheds and the factors that contribute to a healthy ecosystem. We have the honour of conducting these workshops in all of the communities involved in the Drinking Water Internship. We wanted to share with you how excited and engaged the students are when they are out on the land, using scientific tools and instruments and working together to translate numbers and data into discoveries about their own communities.

During 2018, ISWP visited every school on Manitoulin Island in connection to the Mnidoo Mnising Tribal Council Partnership. Currently, we have that opportunity in connection with the Internship Program with the Bimose Tribal Council Partnership. Our first workshop series coincided with the Internship graduation ceremony in the first week of October. We wanted to be there sooner, but COVID restrictions delayed us. Let me tell you, to be there in person was well worth the wait!

We were invited to Gaagagekiizik School (or Kiizhik for short) in Kenora to deliver workshops at the school in person. They suggested that all programming be delivered outside. This was an exciting challenge for us, because we have many workshops that we had only delivered indoors for convenience. Since Kenora is further North than our office, we packed our toques in anticipation of being outside all day in colder weather. To our delight, the toques were not needed as we faced 20°C, or warmer, every day, making our time outside even more memorable.  

Our outdoor classroom locations were straight from The Group of Seven paintings. If you’re not familiar with the Group of Seven, picture stunning landscapes surrounded by raw rock faces and windswept trees. It was a breath of fresh air for the students and for us as we learned about the watershed while sitting in the watershed itself. 

We were blessed with a local water body called Rabbit Lake that was close enough to the school that we could walk. The gym teacher told us he takes students there often, so we took guidance from him. We set a timer to challenge each class to make it to the lake within 10 minutes, and all students were on board with this mission. All four classes we took to the water made it in record time.

Imagine taking a group of 15-20 students to walk through the woods to the lake to learn about water and land. Getting out on the land with the students is one of the highlights of the program. The walk helped us all appreciate the land more and engage our learning with all of our senses. Being outside also connects incredibly well to the Anishinaabemowin Language. As Water First staff, we have heard this from many community partners, but at Kiizhik School, we saw it in action. Thunder Bird, one of the culture and language teachers, joined us for every workshop during our week in Kenora. He was an amazing partner who took the time to teach not only the students, but also us, important words related to the work we were doing.

As guests in a local school, ISWP likes to make sure we are respecting the local culture and practices. Sometimes this means joining in a morning assembly or smudge. Other times, we integrate cultural teachings of our own.

While we were in Kiizhik, it became clear to us that the staff and students respect the land and understand, both spiritually and mentally, that everything is connected. With this observation, we decided to bring some Semah, or tobacco, for the students to make an offering or say a prayer before we started our study on the water. This is not a practice all of the schools or communities we work with follow.

At Kiizhik, the staff was grateful to see an outside organization bring a meaningful cultural teaching to the classroom. One of the staff even took time to write their appreciation on paper for us.  

During our week in Kiizhik School, it was amazing to see the teachers and students engage with the content even beyond our time with each class. The grade 3-4 teacher, Shea Cannon, asked us to come to her classroom at the end of the week to see the students’ work. Each had drawn a watershed of their own: a reflection of the workshop we did with them outside. The level of comprehension made us truly proud of the students and the work we did throughout the week. Below are some of our favourites. We are so grateful to Shea for sharing.     

The entire staff at Kiizhik School was welcoming and genuinely interested in our programming. One of the high school teachers, Janae Grafham, provided lovely feedback saying, “This program was extremely valuable. All students were eager to learn and engaged in their learning. The students continued to talk about how exciting the activities were and how much they learned in the days following the activity. This hands-on opportunity was a highlight of our school year.” We are happy the students and staff liked having us because we feel the same way. We’re looking forward to our next opportunity to continue working with Kiizhik School, and all of the schools associated with the Bimose Water First Internship.

Learn more about Water First’s Indigenous Schools Water Program.

“The water needs our help.”

Tasha Beeds, a Plains Cree Mide-Kwe and Water Walker, has walked nearly 7,000 km to raise awareness about the current state of water systems in Canada and the United States. She is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Indigenous Studies at Trent University with a research focus on violence, Indigenous women, and Cree consciousness. 

Tasha shared her knowledge and experiences with Nibi (water) to the Indigenous youth interested in applying for the Waabnoong Drinking Water Internship. She inspired us all with stories of her journeys across her ancestral lands and shared the ways in which we can engage with and help the water.

This is one of the many ways the Water First interns will be learning to use non-Indigenous tools alongside Traditional Knowledge and methods to help the water and people in their communities. We value this immensely. 

A big thank you to Tasha Beeds for the opportunity to hear her speak and for her permission to share this video.

Collaboration Leads to Success

Sagamok School and Water First Testing New Waters

The Water First Indigenous School Water Programs team works primarily in schools within Indigenous Communities. During lockdowns caused by COVID-19 we have been fortunate to have the opportunity to continue working with our community partners through a virtual water science program called “What’s in Your Water.” Funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation made this program come to life, but the driving current behind the program’s success is,of course, the excellent people we work with on the ground in each community. Without teachers, students and principals who are willing to host and help our staff the program could not succeed! A special thanks goes out to all the teachers and students out there willing to give us a chance through video chat workshops. 

For a small glimpse into our work imagine the struggle of your everyday zoom calls at work or with family and friends. You may wonder to yourself are they really listening to you or are they distracted by something just off-camera? Now multiply that by a class full of eleven-year-olds. This is our experience with the grade 6 class at Biidaaban Kinoomaagegamik School in Sagamok First Nation. Our programming with Sagamok this February has taught us a great deal about how important trust-building and meaningful relationships are to our program success.   

Consider the classroom teacher; a trusted collaborator that believes in the value of our program. They manage the class in a way we can’t, hundreds of kilometres away. They are the fingers to our outstretched arms. To paint you a better picture, this is what a typical “instructional” portion of a virtual delivery might look like. 

As you can imagine it is difficult for us on the other side of the computer screen to know how much the students are absorbing, so we rely on the classroom teacher to communicate the tone of the class to us. 

Fast forward to the hands-on portion of our workshops. Even in the blistering winter “What’s in Your Water” participants enthusiastically apply their knowledge by building their own watershed in the snow, a leap from creating a paper version inside.

As exciting as these pictures look, the largest challenge for us at Water First was not being there in person to see the students applying the knowledge we shared. We relied completely on our teacher collaborators to take pictures in the field, and we learned second hand about the student successes. After creating their topographic watershed models in the snow Ms. L reported that  “It was great to watch some of the students comparing the different maps they were provided with as they built their community in the snow. You could see them figuring out the meaning behind the different maps as they added to their own. They problem solved and that was great!” This of course is something we were used to seeing in person when we could visit each community, but it was a relief to us as instructors to know the lesson had not been lost.  

The most exciting report we got back from Ms. L was after the students took a bus to their local lake, Lake LeCloche, and measured water quality parameters. She said that there were students correcting and helping one another, and they started asking her complex questions about their measurements that even she wasn’t prepared for. Ms. L explained to us that as the workshops went on, she could see the students getting more familiar with the tools. She could see the students becoming more efficient and independent using the water testing resources. Hearing this report proved that the students were interested in their water health, and knowing that they cared deeply about the connections to their land provided the assurance we needed as we continue to navigate the challenges of virtual program delivery. 

Thank you to the Trillium Foundation for making it possible!

Our Land, Our Water

This beautiful video was made by McKaylii Jawbone from Témiscaming, Quebec, a member of Kebaowek First Nation. McKaylii is one of the alumni from a 2-year restoration project in partnership with Kebaowek First Nation. Three large walleye spawning shoals were constructed at restoration sites identified in consultation with community elders, restoration biologists and Water First staff.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to McKaylii and to the community for their support throughout the project, and for for the dedication and hard work to make this such a successful fish habitat restoration project.

An Anishinabek Perspective on Nibi (Water)

By: Ogamauh annag (Sue Chiblow)

Aniin, Boozhoo, Ogamauh annag qwe dishnecuz, jijauk dodem, Ketegaunzeebee donjeba, Anishinaabe, Ojibway indow. My English or status card name is Susan Bell Chiblow, most know me as Sue Chiblow and I was born and raised by my dad in Garden River First Nation with 4 brothers and 3 sisters. I have raised my three beautiful children and continue to live with my husband, Glen Chiblow in GRFN. As a teenager, I lived with my Nokumis who told me I had to go to school to get an education so I could understand their ways and then come home to help my people. So that is what I did, I went to school and have recently went back to school to get my PhD with a focus on Anishinabek women and Nibi (water). 

I have always had a special relationship with water because I grew up surrounded by two rivers and as a child, those were our swimming pools, our fishing spots, and a place where I could sit and listen to the birds, the trees, and the wind by the rivers. I learnt to respect the water at a young age and understand how important water is for all life, the trees, the fish, the birds, and the animals. All of life needs water to live. 

The knowledge I have about water has been given to me by many different Indigenous Peoples because I have been very fortunate to work with and for them. I have been told that we have a different understanding of what water does and what water is. The western world believes water can be bought and sold, that it can be controlled, and that it can be poisoned; that it needs to be managed by humans. The Anishinaabek Peoples believe water is alive, it provides life and can take life, that women are the keepers of the waters because we carry babies in water and that water can heal. Many Anishinaabek Peoples also believe that water carries our ancestor’s memories and those memories are transferred from mother to child when the baby is in the water in the mother’s womb. When I participated in the Water Walks lead by Nokumis Josephine Mandamin, she talked about how the different lakes and rivers have different personalities and different water spirits, and we need to make offerings to the waters because we are the waters, water is life and if the waters are healthy then we are healthy. These are a few of the water teachings I have been given.  

Water is life.

We called ourselves The Food Crew

By: McKaylii Jawbone of Kebaowek First Nation, Water First Intern

I was a part of a two-year project to restore and enhance walleye spawning habitats in my community. Working with Ivan and Kacie made the project run so smoothly, we worked well as a team and we always had fun to make the days seem a little shorter. We called ourselves ‘The Food Crew’ because we needed a team name, and we always seemed to be talking about food. We spent our days driving in the bush, fighting off mosquitoes, and moving rocks into the water. In the end, we were able to restore three walleye spawning beds.

To start off the project, we got in the truck with a GPS and a map, and a fishing rod. We investigated many potential sites, and talked to community members and elders about any potential areas we could restore. The second step was to agree on a site with the Water First team and Richard Rowe the biologist.

Then the work began of gathering rocks, a lot of rocks. We would get a dump truck to drop them off on the side of the road for us, then we would slide them down to our worksite using a homemade slide. One by one we placed the rocks in the water, wearing our hip-waders or rubber boots to start building the shoal.

I know that this can probably sound boring, “we moved rocks”, but these rocks will provide a safe space for the walleye eggs to drop into and hatch. The end goal of this was to have walleye fish use this spawning bed successfully for years to come.

We wanted to make a difference in the Kipawa Lake fishery, as well as gain knowledge of our land and ways to help preserve the ecosystem, and I think through this project with Water First we were able to accomplish that.

We monitor each site, and will continue to monitor them in the coming years. This work has taught me a lot about walleye fish, their ideal spawning habitat, and also about the importance of sustainable fishing practices.

It’s been great to work with such amazing people from Water First, our mentors throughout the project, Jesse and Jag. It was always so fun to have them come to Kipawa and spend the days in the bush. They would teach us about water science, and we would teach them about our Indigenous culture.  The hard work that’s been done together throughout this project is truly rewarding, and I’m looking forward to more restoration work in the future.

Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter to stay up to date with our programs and how we are making a real difference, one community at a time.

Alumni graduate Amy Waboose working in her community drinking water treatment plant.