Mni Wiconi– Water is Life
He wai, he oranga Water is Life
Tó éí iiná Water is Life
Tjáhtjie leä hiäggub Water is Life
Water is the source of life for each and every one of us. The Water is Life Language Project lists 84 ways to say Water is Life https://rabble.ca/indigenous/water-life-language-project/ and no doubt there are many more.
In recognition of World Water Day, the Indigenous Commission of the International Federation of Social Workers offers the following statement describing the significance of water for Indigenous Peoples and for all of us in our shared and changing world. We describe some of the responsibilities that Indigenous Peoples carry for water, actions that social workers have taken, and our shared path forward.
Water has deep meaning for Indigenous Peoples around the world. He wai tapu, he wai ora, he wai Māori . This Māori phrase translates as Sacred water, life-giving water, pure water reminds us of its deep spiritual and physical significance. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, water is a recognized as a treasure and is prized by Māori people because it sustains life, connects people across genealogical lines, and embodies spirit. It nurtures both people and families, reflecting the balance of the natural world. Similarly, among the Sámi, water, along with land and sky, is an integral part of who we are, and of our life and wellbeing.
For many Indigenous Peoples, water is our relative. Beginning with the Whanganui River in Aotearoa in 2017, other countries such as Canada and Bangladesh have recognized the legal personhood of rivers, acknowledging their legal rights. The worldview Te Ao Māori teaches us that true wealth lies in balance—between people, families, and water. Water is not just a resource; it is an ancestor, a connector of generations, and a vital force that demands reciprocity.
Indigenous Peoples maintain deep respect for the various forms of water including rains, oceans, and springs, but waters have often been disrespected and damaged by colonial societies and their members, in turn damaging Indigenous Peoples and other relatives. In the US, states like Colorado, New Mexico, North and South Dakota to name a few have seen the devastation of contaminated rivers and water ways. In many places around the world, dams have captured rivers, flooded Indigenous Territories, stopped fish migrations, and drowned medicine plants. What has been touted as progress has benefited some but come at the expense of many Indigenous Peoples and the natural world.
In our shared and changing world, there are many longstanding disparities related to water. The theme for this year’s celebration of World Water Day is Glacier Preservation, but glaciers are melting faster than ever. With the changing climate many Indigenous Peoples in the North who maintain a subsistence lifestyle experience unpredictable sea ice that makes traditional hunting practices unsafe. For billions of people, meltwater flows are changing, leading to floods, droughts, landslides and rising sea levels. Indigenous Peoples in coastal areas and on island nations are rapidly losing their territories. While Indigenous Peoples are particularly vulnerable to these changes, this rapidly changing world affects us all.
Similarly, access to clean water is essential for all of us but disparities are particularly apparent in Indigenous contexts. Many First Nations communities in Canada have been under boil water advisories for years because the water that comes into their homes isn’t safe to drink. Land was and continues to be a commodity in North America and the forced and coerced seizure of Native lands created an impingement on water rights of sovereign Indigenous Nations. Many North American Tribes have had to fight for access to clean water and many Tribal members must travel to obtain water for basic survival. Extraction of minerals and mining uranium has contaminated rivers and streams in the United States as the mining companies did not clean up the contamination sites. Likewise, in Sweden mining and extraction of minerals have destroyed waterways and surrounding areas, despite recognition of the need to protect waters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials recommended regular handwashing, yet many people were shocked to learn that some Indigenous people in the United States didn’t have easy access to running water. While clean and safe drinking water should be a basic right for every living being, vast, longstanding disparities in access remain around the world.
Indigenous Peoples carry responsibilities to water. The lands and the waters are only loaned to us, and we have a responsibility to take care of them on behalf of future generations. Taking care of water is also a way of taking care of people, as well as all life on earth, today and in the future. We must nurture and uphold the sacred relationship between people and the natural world. Waterways have cultural significance and when contaminated, that disrupts our ways of living and being. As kaitiaki (guardians), our role is to protect and restore its mana (life force), ensuring water remains abundant, clean, and accessible for future generations.
Movements such as “Water is Life” came about when enough was enough for Native Nations who must continue to fight for basic human dignity and survival, even in first world countries like the United States. In 2016, Indigenous Water Protectors came together near Standing Rock Reservation to try and stop construction of an oil pipeline under Lake Oahe, the fourth largest reservoir in the United States and a major source of water for not just Indigenous people but all people of the region. Indigenous people from across the United States were joined by Indigenous people from around the world and many allies, standing up to protect the water. While this was by far the most internationally visible action taken by Water Protectors, it is not the only one. Native voices are rising up through Elders, and youth, as the next generation takes on responsibilities to advocate for the Earth who provides this water. It is through these voices that we can advocate to secure access to clean water. Water is Life is not just a movement, but a way of living.
Social workers, too, recognize the importance of water. Many social workers are on the frontline of fighting for climate justice, recognizing the intersections between our changing world, forced mobility, failing crops, and hunger. Social workers are important members of teams that respond to natural disasters like floods and hurricanes, helping displaced people find safety and rebuild their lives.
Likewise, social workers advocate for all people to have access to safe drinking water. For example, in 2014 residents of Flint Michigan in the United States experienced a public health emergency when the city’s water supply was tainted with lead and other contaminants known to cause brain damage in exposed children. Social workers advocated for clean water for all, also calling attention to how the contaminated drinking water affected Elders in the community.
Social work is a human rights profession and safe drinking water is a basic human right. In 2010, 122 countries at the United Nations formally acknowledged “the Human Right to Water and Sanitation” in General Assembly Resolution 64/292. Access to water is essential for health, dignity, prosperity, and all forms of wellbeing that social workers champion.
Because of the custodial and relational responsibilities that we carry, many Indigenous Protectors have taken the lead in standing up for the rights of water. Others, including social workers, stand with us. More must be done to protect waters in their many forms. We, as the Indigenous Commission of the International Federation of Social Workers, call on all of us to rise up to protect the waters.
Indigenous Peoples continue to stand on the forefront because of our caretaking responsibilities, but protecting water is not just an Indigenous issue.
As social workers, we advocate for clean water and mitigation of environmental injustices, but these are not just social work issues.
Water is important for each and every one of us- human and nonhuman. It nurtures and cares for us and in turn we must nurture and care for water. We live in a shared world and must embrace our shared responsibilities.
Mni Wiconi– Water is Life
He wai, he oranga Water is Life
Tó éí iiná Water is Life
Tjáhtjie leä hiäggub Water is Life