Background. Indigenous peoples face at least four types of water-related challenges which this website seeks to elucidate: (1) Indigenous cultural and spiritual understandings about water are misunderstood or simply ignored by the dominant Western societies; (2) Indigenous communities are not included meaningfully in water policy and planning processes; (3) Customary access and rights to water is seldom recognized by the state authorities that now control indigenous areas, and (4) Waterbodies that are critical to cultural and physical wellbeing are being polluted by outside forces beyond their control.
At both the national and international levels, indigenous peoples are seldom recognized as a legitimate stakeholders in water-related policy decisions, and typically lack the institutional structures and capacities to promote their water interests to the outside world. Bringing indigenous peoples into water policy discussions requires active interest and commitment from the water "establishment".
During the past decade, the policy climate has shifted in favor of a more open and honest dialogue among indigenous representatives and between the indigenous participants as a group and the many other water stakeholders. The report of the World Commission on Dams (2000) gave prominence to the land and water rights of indigenous peoples and endorsed the principle of "free and informed consent" concerning displacement as a human right. This single report has done much to legitimize discussion about indigenous land and water rights as a topic that should be of concern to the development community at large. The World Water Forum in Kyoto (2003) was a landmark in inviting input from Indigenous Peoples, and the result was the Indigenous Peoples Kyoto Declaration. The World Water Forum in Mexico City (2006) and Istanbul (2009) also invited Indigenous inputs, as reported elsewhere in these web pages.
The water issues confronting Indigenous Peoples have become increasingly critical with the changing climate direcltly impacting communities living along the rising sea, or the melting glaciers. Along with the issues of access and water rights, and pollution from mining and industry, the added impacts of climate change have elevated water management to a life and death issue for communities and entire cultures.
Objective of the Initiative. The overall objective of this website is to give voice to the perspectives of indigenous peoples on water-related issues, including water rights, agriculture, environmental health (related to water), religion and spirituality related to water, and sustainability of water resources. The purpose of "giving voice" to indigenous perspectives goes beyond a simple appreciation of indigenous culture and beliefs; our objectives are both to empower indigenous communities through a sharing of knowledge and experience, and to enhance cross-cultural understanding and respect for different approaches to water management and water development.
Resources. We are not alone! There are a number of other organizations working on related issues:
United Nations University Institute for Advanced Studies Traditional Knowledge Initiative is housed in Charles Darwin University, Australia, and has programs on Traditional Knowledge and Climate Change, and Traditional Knowledge and Water Management.
Tebtebba is "Working for the recognition and protection of indigenous peoples' rights". Based in the Philippines, they are active worldwide on cultural rights related to natural resources, including water. Tebtebba is the lead organization in the recently launched Indigenous Climate Portal.
Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), based in the United States, is a "network of Indigenous Peoples empowering Indigenous Nations and communities towards sustainable livelihoods, demanding environmental justice and maintaining the Sacred Fire of our traditions." Indigenous water issues are addressed not only in IEN's Water Program, but also in the Mining Program and the Native Energy and Climate Campaign.
UNESCO addresses indigenous water issues through two separate programs: (1) The Water and Cultural Diversity Database, which is part of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP), and (2) the interdisciplinary program on Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS).