An Examination of Drinking Water in Two Indigenous Communities in Canada

• Author / Creator

  Spicer, Neal

• For decades, many Indigenous communities across Canada have dealt with poor levels of water security and associated drinking water problems both within the home and while on the land, hunting, fishing and participating in cultural events. Yet, despite this, little academic research has been conducted on this subject. Most of the studies examined the contaminants involved and the causes of contamination, or infrastructure issues related to drinking water. While these are very important considerations, they fail to address the larger scope of the problem such as the political environment, the social position, and the reduced capacity of Indigenous communities and how these have created conditions in many communities similar to those seen in developing nations around the world. In total, 99 semi-structured interviews were conducted over a two year period in two Indigenous communities (Dene Tha’ First Nations & K’atl’odeeche First Nations) to better understand the variables that underlie participants’ water consumption patterns and what factors influence their choices. The data was analyzed to further develop the existing research that has examined variables that influence Indigenous water consumption patterns. Overall, the results indicate that both communities consume far more bottled water than the Canadian average and support previous research findings for many of the variables that influence people’s consumption behaviours. In particular, the Dene Tha’ respondents indicated much higher levels of concern over their drinking water which corresponded to increased levels of perceived risk and bottled water consumption. Additionally, the research findings provided a basis to develop the concept of Indigenous water security and the various components involved. This will allow Indigenous communities to better understand and address levels of water security and the problems that many associate with drinking water in their communities across Canada.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Indigenous Drinking water
  • Indigenous water security

• Graduation date

  Spring 2020

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-ycnk-fd34

• License

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