Mni Ki Wakan

MNI KI WAKAN
2020-2021

VIRTUAL INDIGENOUS WATER DECADE

Mni Ki Wakan will host ongoing virtual sessions on the provisional agenda below from 2020-2021.

Virtual Sessions

Indigenous Knowledge

Indigenous Water Justice

Indigenous Water Governance

Water Infrastructure

Indigenous Innovations

INDIGENOUS WATER JUSTICE

Today, the global community is increasingly experiencing water scarcity issues. 2.3 billion people live in water stressed countries according to the United Nations, and it is projected that about 4.8-5.7 billion people will experience water scarcity issues by 2050 (UN). As rising sea levels, droughts, and depleted rivers present new threats, the global water crisis is exacerbated by global warming, climate change; unsustainable consumption, agricultural use, privatization, and industry.

In the United States, 1 in 10 American Indians lack access to safe tap water & basic sanitation. For every 1,000 Indigenous Peoples, 58 do not have access to indoor plumbing (Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States, 2019). Indigenous Peoples are often the first to experience water access, lack of clean drinking water, and equity issues. While many Indigenous Nations are negatively impacted by unsustainable infrastructure projects, extractive industries, and increasing water contamination.

Prior to the advent of water colonialism, many Indigenous Peoples believed that water is sacred, the source of life, Indigenous knowledge systems, and cultural practices that have protected the natural world for centuries, still. Today, Indigenous Peoples are innovating. This includes granting legal personality to rivers, advocating against destructive corporate projects, developing Indigenous-led water projects, providing Indigenous infrastructure, and honoring the sacredness of water through a myriad of other innovations. Dismantling water colonialism and restoring Indigenous water ethics that nourish all life and future generations is at the heart of this work.

From the global to local level, Indigenous water justice is connected by all Indigenous Peoples, youth, organizations, movements, and diverse communities responding to the call to defend against all water issues through a myriad of innovations and transformations. Mni Ki Wakan arose in response to the call for water justice, Indigenous water rights, and governance.