This 2023 MKW Summit, themed, "Indigenous Water Justice, Global Collaboration, & Dismantling Water Colonialism," is timely as Indigenous water justice, innovation, and solution-oriented approaches ramp up, the Western water paradigm is diversifying its efforts to get ahead of global warming and climate change. Consequently, Indigenous communities are caught in environmental water inequities that are perpetuated during the process of Western water expansion across research, advocacy, science, sanitation, and human rights. Water colonialism began with water theft, disrupting the world's longest standing water ethics and relationships with sacred Indigenous waters, giving rise to prominent Western and colonial water entities that hold immense wealth, power, and resources while purporting to speak for 'all people.' Today, Indigenous peoples are largely excluded from the Western water paradigm and decision-making processes.

While some support is underway, many are seeking to dismantle water colonialism, and to restore Indigenous water governances that acknowledge the cultural and critical role Indigenous community members play in the future of their water rights. Indigenous youth are taking on water rights through research, education, and advocacy. Indigenous scholars are gathering information and conducting research to advance their Indigenous Nation's water rights in ways not previously thought of. Indigenous-led water organizations are surfacing now more than ever to answer the calls of the escalating water crisis, deploying water science, research, policy-development, advocacy, and community-driven initiatives. Indigenous water departments are developing water policies that account for and protect their water sources, identities, and cultures. There are now unprecedented opportunities awaiting a deeper dive into the collective power of Indigenous water protection and transformation, to connect critical players working across key facets and sectors of Indigenous water rights; to scale collaboration at local, national, and international levels, connecting previously unexplored sections and regions of the Indigenous world water map; to increase the circulation and confluence of Indigenous water solution-oriented approaches, tools, knowledge, and frameworks; to learn from each about how other Indigenous Peoples and youth are addressing water issues, as well as, opportunities.

MKW recognizes that many Indigenous Peoples once collectively held their water rights in common, honoring water as a relative, and we seek to help deepen ways to surface the important work that Indigenous water protectors and champions are carrying out. Recognizing those who seek to place the rights of water back into the hands of their communities, uplifting a collective Indigenous water sovereignty citizenry. We seek to identify and illuminate approaches to Indigenous water collaboration that hold the power to collectively address the escalating water issues many Native communities may be experiencing. We seek not only to co-innovate ways to respond to water issues, but to go beyond, and explore future possibilities through upstream collective thinking.