Shifting the Framework of Canadian Water Governance through Indigenous Research Methods

Two-eyed methodology, Saskatchewan practice that mixes Indigenous and western philosophies.
Reciprocal learning.
Data collection and analysis, mostly qualitative data.
Community consultations and reviews.

Given that there is an urgent need to improve water governance for Indigenous communities, this article addresses how Indigenous knowledge systems and research methods can be used to work through the water crisis. Highlighting how Indigenous knowledges operate differently from western research methods, the authors use the “two-eyed seeing” methodology to present recommendations to other future projects on Indigenous water governance. Based on their experiences with the Decolonizing Water research project, the authors present the ecological, socio-economic, cultural, and spiritual dimensions that must be in place to ethically collaborate with Indigenous communities with regards to water management.

Decolonizing Water is an Indigenous-led interdisciplinary project committed to reciprocally enabling respectful Community-Based Research and observing OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession) protocols. They also respect the Indigenous Community-Based Research principles, often referred to as the “four R’s”: respect, responsibility, reciprocity, and relevance.

Through the toolkits and research materials summarized in this article and on the Decolonizing Water website, the researchers provide the basic tools to create in the long-term a self-sustaining water and ecological monitoring program that will enhance protection of water resources and help fulfilling the promise of Indigenous water governance.

Documentation produced in community consultations and reviews.
Interviews with community members.
Reports on water and environment.
Academic publications on water management, environmental health, pollution, and related fields.

The results and assessments of the presented studies are all shared on their website and disseminated within the partner communities.

“Because the vast majority of research is currently defined through a western science-based lens, Indigenous perspectives often become occasional add-ons or afterthoughts. Therefore, Indigenous knowledge and worldviews must increasingly become a starting point for new research efforts. Indigenous research is formulated based on Indigenous worldviews, knowledges and experiences. It also responds to particular Indigenous needs and inquiries.” (p. 4)

“Indigenous water relations are often based on the concept of reciprocity, which includes the maintenance of respectful relations between human and non-human entities. Just as water sustains human life, humans hold an inherent caretaking responsibility for the waters they depend on for their survival. By focusing our attention on reciprocal relationships and away from commodities, Indigenous perspectives can help challenge dominant assumptions regarding water governance [3] and create a better understanding of how human and non-human entities (including water) are co-constituted in the context of the particular Indigenous lands and cultures.” (p. 8)

Science and Technology Studies
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Engineering