Water protectors
Water protectors are activists, organizers, and cultural workers focused on the defense of the world's water and water systems. The water protector name, analysis and style of activism arose from Indigenous communities in North America during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at the Standing Rock Reservation, which began with an encampment on LaDonna Brave Bull Allard's land in April, 2016.
Water protectors are similar to land defenders, but are distinguished from other environmental activists by this philosophy and approach that is rooted in an indigenous cultural perspective that sees water and the land as sacred. This relationship with water moves beyond simply having access to clean drinking water, and comes from the beliefs that water is necessary for life and that water is a relative and therefore it must be treated with respect. As such, the reasons for protection of water are older, more holistic, and integrated into a larger cultural and spiritual whole than in most modern forms of environmental activism, which may be more based in seeing water and other extractive resources as commodities.
Historically, water protectors have been led by or composed of women; in this way, it is comparable to the ecofeminist movement.
"Water is Life (''Mni Wiconi'')"
"Water is life" is an expression that is connected to water protectors. The expression arises from the relationships that Indigenous communities have with water and other forms of life that they view as vital for their survival. "Water is Life" reflects the long lasting relationships that Indigenous communities have with water and what water protectors are fighting for. "Water is Life" does not just represent the need for Indigenous peoples access to clean water, but represents how water is used in ceremony and the important role water plays in their belief systems. As Potawatomi philosopher Kyle Powys Whyte explains, the idea that "water is life" is based in "Indigenous governance systems that support cultural integrity, economic vitality, and political self-determination and the capacity to shift and adjust to the dynamics of ecosystems."Thus, in many Indigenous communities water is seen as something that brings life to other beings around it, and it is seen as a member of society that must be protected. Since water is held in such high regard, people offer gifts to the water, pray and sing to water in order to create a relationship with water and protect it. Since women are seen as life-givers in Indigenous communities, they are often the ones who are responsible for protecting the water. Oceti Sakowin historian Nick Estes provides context to the “Water Is Life” movement, framing it in the context of Indigenous resistance from perpetual colonialist destruction.
Role and actions
Water protectors have been involved in actions against construction of multiple pipelines, as well as other projects by the fossil fuel industries, and resource extraction activities such as fracking that can lead to the contamination of water.Actions have involved traditional direct actions like blockades on reserve lands and traditional territories to block corporations from engaging in resource extraction. Water and land protectors have also created resistance camps as a way to re-occupy and refuse to give away their traditional territories. Usually part of these encampments, when led by Indigenous people, is a strengthening of cultural ties and traditions, with inclusion of activities like language revitalization. They also take actions outside of protesting that are rooted in ceremony. These actions include singing songs to water, offering tobacco to water, and praying to the water. Such actions reflect the importance that water holds to these communities.
Many water protectors are women. In many Native American and FNIM cultures, women are seen to have a strong connection to water, the moon, and the cycles of the tide as they are able to become pregnant and give birth. Because they give life, Indigenous women hold important roles and are highly valued in their communities. Thus, women are also responsible for taking care of water, and the water will return the favor by giving life to the surrounding environment. In Anishinaabe culture, for example, women perform ceremonies to honour water and water is considered to be alive and have a spirit.
Josephine Mandamin was an Anishinaabe elder and activist who initiated Mother Earth Walks, also known as Mother Earth Water Walks. She and other women began to walk, carrying copper buckets of water, around the Great Lakes. As the women walked, they sang and prayed, strengthening the deep ties between their communities and the Great Lakes, along with their personal connections to the water and the land. These walks and related events raised awareness and brought many Native women into a stronger relationship with the water. Although Mandamin died in February 2019, her water walks have inspired many other water walks to continue in her memory.
Other well-known water protectors include Autumn Peltier ; Marjorie Flowers, LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, and Faith Spotted Eagle.
The Dakota Access Pipeline
In 2016, Native communities protested the 1,172 mile long Dakota Access Pipeline. The protest was due to the fact that the pipeline was supposed to be built on the land of Indigenous communities, and was putting water sources that those communities depend on in danger. Water protectors were the frontline of this protest, dedicating their time to protecting the water source and upholding their treaties. As Potawatomi ecologist and botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer and environmental philosopher Kathleen Dean Moore explain, "it is possible to love land and water so fiercely you will live in a tent in a North Dakota winter to protect them."The movement gained media attention quickly, and is viewed as one of the biggest Native led resistance movements in decades. However, during this protest, some media outlets such as The Blaze ran a misinformation campaign against Water Protectors. This false information created a narrative that was harmful to water protectors and Native communities as a whole.
Citizen Potawatomi philosopher Kyle Powys Whyte's analysis of the Water Protectors' campaign against the Dakota Access Pipeline offers complexities of the movement and further explains how Water Protectors’ goals were misconstrued by the media. Whyte shows that critics' emphasis on the pipeline's safety precautions reflects a broader misunderstanding of Indigenous peoples' relationships with their lands and waters.Within the NoDAPL movement, the Water Protectors were not only opposing a construction project, but were also defending their ancestral lands, cultural heritage, and the water sources essential to their livelihoods. However, the media's portrayal often reduced the movement to a dispute over land ownership and economic interests, overlooking the spiritual and cultural significance of the land and water to Indigenous communities. Anticolonial scholar Jaskiran Dhillon elaborates on the community building efforts at Standing Rock, noting that they focused on meeting everyone’s needs, including food, water, warmth, rest, and spiritual community, recognizing that only if these needs were met would people be able to participate in the resistance. She explains that Water Protectors value youth leadership building within their resistance, especially leadership building for female youth, as young Native women face intersectional gendered and racialized violence and oppression.
Alton Gas
In May 2018 Mi'kmaq peoples in Nova Scotia blocked the Alton Gas company from extracting water from the Shubenacadie River for a natural gas project; the project was disrupting the natural balance between freshwater and seawater in the tidal region, and threatening the drinking water, fish and other water life of the region.Scholar Ingrid Waldron has shown that the Alton Gas resistance in Nova Scotia is emblematic of broader issues concerning environmental racism, health inequality, and the impacts of climate change on water quality and Indigenous land. Waldron notes that the community had access to clean water until 2012, “when the community’s water table was contaminated by digging at the nearby Nova Scotia Sand and Gravel pit." This contamination not only disrupted the daily lives of the affected communities but also posed significant health risks, emphasizing the connection between environmental degradation, water health, and public health.
The resistance against Alton Gas has manifested through various forms of activism, including protests, legal challenges, and community mobilization efforts. Water protectors have been at the forefront of these actions, raising awareness about the environmental and health risks associated with the contamination of the water supply. They have organized community meetings, engaged in peaceful demonstrations, and collaborated with environmental organizations to amplify their concerns and push for stricter regulations and oversight of industrial activities.
Muskrat Falls
Action has also been taken across Canada, including Muskrat Falls hydro dam project in Labrador. The Innu people have been at the forefront of resistance against the Newfoundland government-sponsored Lower Churchill hydroelectric project, particularly the Muskrat Falls megadam. Sociologist Colin Samson notes, "As the dam, the new infrastructure, and the subsequent flooding completely altered the entire local ecology and even reversed the flow of some rivers, Innu hunting families noted the drowning of wildlife, losses of caribou calving grounds and waterfowl, and methylmercury poisoning triggered from decomposing trees and organic matter,". The project has had profound environmental and cultural impacts on the Innu community, emphasizing the prioritization of industrial development and commodification of land at the expense of Indigenous rights and ecological sustainability.The resistance to the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project by the Innu people is rooted in a broader context of historical and ongoing colonization, dispossession, and marginalization of Indigenous communities in Canada. Innu activists and community members engaged in various forms of protest and advocacy to challenge the Muskrat Falls megadam, demanding meaningful consultation, consent, and recognition of their inherent rights to land and resources. Water and Land Protectors blockaded the dam site’s entrance, which caused a temporary shutdown of all dam construction. Their resistance underscores the connections between economic development, environmental justice, and Indigenous sovereignty. They highlighted the need for more inclusive and equitable approaches to resource management and energy production in Canada.