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Every morning I turn on the tap to fill my kettle for tea. I boil eggs and oats on the stove, and fill my reusable water bottle before heading to work. What I do not stop often to think about was how much water had flowed through my hands before the day has even begun.
The average Canadian uses 335 litres of water daily, equal to 670 standard water bottles. For many of us, that water is invisible. It’s the steam rising from our coffee or the laundry spinning in the machine. We use water so much without noticing. But what if we began to notice? What if water was not invisible, but alive? Not only a daily resource, but a sacred being on its own?
As an Ojibwe woman of the Anishinaabe nation, I have been taught to connect with water, land, air, Mother Earth and all beings as extensions of myself. Nothing is separate, nothing acts alone. Water is an exceptionally important being, as it nourishes all life. We are first surrounded by water in the womb, brought into this world through a gush of water, and it is water that sustains our lives every day. Just as the earth is 75% water, so are we. It is in our creation story, and many stories across different nations through Turtle Island, that teach us that water was here before all.
Water is also cyclical, flowing through rivers and oceans, carried into the sky, only to return again as freshwater to replenish our soils. This rhythm mirrors the cycles of womb carrying people, who also have cycles of their own. Because of this deep connection, many Indigenous nations recognize womb carrying people as traditional water protectors.
I spoke with an elder from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. While I washed our dishes, they minded me to the running tap, motioning to turn it off and instead fill the sink with warm water. I felt inconvenienced by the changing of my routine, but understood after they spoke. They told me that their territory had experienced 14 years of boil water advisories, which is currently still the case for many communities and regions across Turtle Island. They reminded me not to take this sacred being for granted, not to misuse it, waste it, or dishonor it. Every drop mattered.
As climate change intensifies, more people will face water insecurity. Though the challenges can be overwhelming, they are not insurmountable. I saw this hope clearly at the Youth Clean Drinking Water Summit in Halifax.
Earlier this summer, I joined 41 other First Nations youth from across Canada for the summit, hosted by the Assembly of First Nations. We gathered to share perspectives on water governance in our communities. Though the focus was on implementing better policies around water for First Nations, I believe that the perspectives shared can ripple outward to strengthen all Canadians.
The main takeaways, in my perspective, were the following:
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Uplift youth voices and foster multi-generational cooperation. All perspectives are valuable and should be listened to with equal respect.
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Teach environmental ethics from a young age. In schools, at home, in community centres, we must equip the younger generations to be our future stewards of the waters and land.
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Increase accessibility. People need real opportunities to participate: transportation, childcare, paid time, and inclusive materials for all peoples.
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Honour Two-Eyed Seeing. Value both Indigenous and Western science, as there is value in diverse perspectives.
Climate change is already reshaping Mother Earth’s rhythm and systems: more droughts, more floods, more people left without safe drinking water. But water also teaches us resilience. It adapts, it can carve through rock, and it always finds a way. No matter where we lie, the health of our water determines our future. If we act with gratitude and with each other, we can ensure that water continues to flow for the next seven generations and more to follow. Every drop matters.
Aiyana is an alumna of Carleton University with an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biology. She is a member of M’Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island and a member of Ecology Ottawa’s EcoYouth Council.
