The Native peoples of North America have been caretakers of their lands and natural resources long before colonial contact, and they are the ones who stand on the front lines when our water systems are being threatened. Our new storymap delves into the cultural significance of water to Native communities and how their unique perspectives have shaped their efforts to protect our waters.
Water is Life: Native Efforts to Restore Water Systems
This storymap explores the role of Water Protector in Native communities and how it is intricately tied to the diverse cultural and spiritual beliefs about water. It contrasts this perspective with the relationship that settler colonialism has with water and how this perspective is harming our ecosystems.
The storymap offers three examples of instances where settler colonialism has had devastating impacts on particular water systems and the response of Native Water Protectors to both protect and restore them. Each case study provides readers with the opportunity to see how NLAP’s data tools and resources are applicable to tribes and their Water Protectors as they work to defend this precious resource.
Read the Water Storymap:
Author
Written by Mauryn Morfitt
