First Nations Address
Introduction
For years, residents of the first nation communities across Canada have believed and suspected most of their health issues are related mainly to poor water quality. Besides, the gap in health data has less has not had any positive impacts in helping the situation. However, some major steps and decisions have been taken with the primary objective of making effective and reliable changes in improving the quality and safety of water provided for people in these first nations. This paper will focus mainly on Shoal Lake First Nation’s poor drinking water quality issues and, most importantly, some of the solutions that have been proposed over the past few years to solve the issues. The paper will also discuss of the proposed solutions have been effective in achieving positive and desired outcomes.
During the construction of an aqueduct that carries water to Winnipeg, Shoal lake first nation was cut out entirely and became isolated from the rest of the area, contributing significantly to poor water drinking quality. One of the most important proposed solutions was opening a water treatment facility, which will eventually bring the water advisories to an end for the community (Suttak, 2013). With no centralized water treatment facility, Shoal Lake has for years experienced problems related to poor quality water for drinking and other purposes. However, in 2019, a new water treatment system and the facility were started, estimated to be about $33 million. This new facility was mainly proposed to provide cleans and treated water for the residents (Bosnich, 1995). Logically, this proposed solution was successful as most, if not all, homes in Shoal lake are connected to clean drinking water, particularly from this new facility. People from the community believe that the federal government should not be allowed to go on for so long as they may affect the public’s general delivery of such services.
Another important solution for the problem was mainly the involvement of Shoal First nation as an important part of a worldwide investigation, particularly by Human Rights Watch. Generally, the Ignorance of Canada in failing to take measures and strategies that would ensure effectiveness and positive outcomes in the provision of clean water for the people in Shoal Lake first nation can be seen as a violation of human rights (Hutchison, 1995). As a result, the decision to present this review to the United Committee reviewing human rights records, particularly in Canada, is considered one of the most important, reliable, and productive measures that would ensure effectiveness in Canada respecting the right of this community. This can be seen as a proposed solution designed to influence Canada into taking action that would ensure effectiveness in providing clean water for this community. Generally, this proposed solution was effective, as it helped in the presentation and review of the issues, which led to a case being considered. Besides, the solution helped to influence specific measures and decisions, particularly by the Canadian government focused on providing both facilities and, most importantly, support that would help in providing the community with clean drinking water (Roman & Eldridge, 2017).
Connecting Shoal Lake, particularly by building infrastructure, was also an important and reliable proposed solution for the problem. Generally, one of the major factors contributing to this issue’s degree is mainly related to the community being associated. With good infrastructure, particularly roads, facilities like water cleaning facilities and other organizations could help solve even other problems that the people are currently facing. In 2016, the construction was started and ended in 2017. This proposed solution was also effective, particularly in rectifying a major issue related to the poor water quality in Shoal lake first nation, the destruction of the water supply system to the community. Therefore, this proposed solution has played a major role in influencing how services and developments are made within the community. However, this proposed solution was not considered recently as similar solutions have been proposed in the past but remained unsuccessful. The road was mainly built in 2019 and connected the community, particularly to the trans-Canada highway system. This road played a major role in improving the process of transporting materials used, particularly in constructing a new plant for producing clean and safe water for the people.
Legal cases were also important and acted not only as solutions but also as a way to compensate local people in this community. Generally, the federal governments, particularly in Canada, settled for eight billion dollars, particularly due to two class-action lawsuits with the community over access to clean water for drinking (Davidson-Hunt et al. 2005). This proposal was based on specific promises like compensation for the residents, provision of drinking water infrastructure based on modernizing, and, most importantly, built legislations. Generally, these are some of the most important desires that the people of this community and its leaders have been having for decades (Ennis, 2011). These proposed solutions helped to influence measures and steps taken to settle such promises, which played a critical role in influencing the speed of the process and, most importantly, general outcomes.
The consideration of multi-stakeholder decision-making also played a critical role in influencing positive and desired outcomes in providing clean drinkable water for the people. This proposed solution involved mainly the technical assistance of different stakeholders (Berkes et al. (2002). The influence of these stakeholders was effective as they helped influence the processes and measures taken to ensure the community was provided with clean and safe water for drinking. The influence, in this case, helped in increasing the speed at which concerns were heard and how responses were given in consideration to the provision of clean water for the people within the community (Sinclair & Hutchison, 1998). As a result, the federal government in Canada took effective measures and was most reliable to ensure effectiveness in dealing with the issues (Ross, 1977). As a result, the process and outcomes were influenced, thus helping in solving the issue the community was facing.
Conclusion
For years the Shoal Lake first nation has been experiencing a problem related to lack of clean and reliable water, particularly for drinking. But this problem is mainly related to the fact that the community is isolated from other developed communities. However, the community has for years been focused on developing and proposing specific solutions focused mainly on solving the issue and protecting its people. Although most of these proposed solutions have proved changes, they have helped in ensuring effectiveness and positive outcomes in consideration to the ability of the community to get access to clean water. Currently, the community has a water cleaning facility, with most homes being connected to a clean water supply system. As a result, it is evident these proposed solutions have been effective in influencing the ability of the community to have access to clean water.
References
Berkes, F., Sinclair, J., Ruta, T., & Davidson-Hunt, I. (2002). Scientific and First Nation perspectives of non-timber forest products: A case study from the Shoal Lake Watershed, Northwestern Ontario.
Bosnich, D. (1995). Assessing traditional and contemporary fisheries knowledge within the Shoal Lake watershed: possibilities for partnerships with Shoal Lake First Nation# 40.
Davidson-Hunt, I. J., Jack, P., Mandamin, E., & Wapioke, B. (2005). Iskatewizaagegan (Shoal Lake) plant knowledge: an Anishinaabe (ojibway) ethnobotany of Northwestern Ontario. Journal of Ethnobiology, 25(2), 189-227.
Ennis, D. A. (2013). Pressure to Act: The Shoal Lake Aqueduct and the Greater Winnipeg Water District. Manitoba History, (72), 12-20.
Ennis, D. A. (2011). Developing a Domestic Water Supply for Winnipeg from Shoal Lake and Lake of the Woods: The Greater Winnipeg Water District Aqueduct, 1905–1919. University of Manitoba (Canada).
Hutchison, D. (1995). Resource issues and multi-party decision making: a model for basin planning in Shoal Lake (Manitoba & Ontario) (Master’s thesis).
Ross, R. D. (1977). Preliminary guidelines for the development of the Shoal Lake area in Manitoba’s Interlake.
Roman, L. G., & Eldridge, S. (2017). ‘O Canada’or ‘Freedom Road’?: Shoal Lake 40’s Mirror on Global Northern Disability Studies and Public Pedagogies. In Disability and Masculinities (pp. 3-43). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Sinclair, A. J., & Hutchison, D. (1998). Multi-stakeholder decision making: The Shoal Lake watershed case. Canadian Water Resources Journal, 23(2), 167-179.
Suttak, P. A. (2013). High-resolution lake-based magnetic mapping and modelling of basement structures, with examples from Küçükçekmece Lagoon, Turkey and Charity Shoal, Lake Ontario (Doctoral dissertation).
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