About Indigenous Water Partnership

Initially, through private funding (foundations, corporate gifts, bank loans), then provincial and federal funding.

Tyler Elizabeth Ball, water treatment engineer, and many wonderful collaborators.

The Partnership supports Indigenous Nations’ sovereignty in Canada by providing culturally relevant technical support to First Nations/Inuit community members, as a traditional "Owner's Engineer" would. Adapted expertise in designing, building and managing water treatment solutions will ensure durable access to safe drinking water and effective sanitation systems, and foster community ownership of water treatment infrastructure.

Our organization is mindful of the fact that women’s wisdom and leadership are vital regarding water stewardship, and must be included in its management, treatment, and especially, protection. Non-Indigenous stakeholders collaborate with Indigenous leadership to ensure that all decisions are community-driven and aligned with the specific needs, values, and governance structures of each community. The role of non-Indigenous team members is to support, not direct, decision-making.

Where we are needed, starting in Quebec and available to any First Nation or Inuit community in Canada.

We would be grateful to hear from you! Please use our contact page to reach us.

Our team evaluates what is best for the the users, and selects the simplest system most likely to last, for the lowest cost. Sometimes that means a very boring and simple solution! Each Nation must determine what the treatment criteria must be, and we will work to ensure they are consistently met by the right solution.

Contact us and we'll listen to you. Then we can discuss the options available.

Despite the importance of water to Indigenous peoples, most First Nations communities are victims of the historically extractive and abusive nature of Canada’s colonial approach to using natural resources. That explains why the water supplied to many of Canada’s 600+ First Nations communities on lands known as reserves is contaminated, hard to access, or at risk due to faulty treatment systems. To continue reading about this, please see this article.

If you would like a representative from our organization to speak at an event, please reach out via our contact form. Please be as specific as possible with your request so that we can best serve you.

If you are looking to interview a team member, please reach out via our contact page. Please be as specific as possible with your request so that we can best serve you.