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Award winning Indigenous water program shares worrying data with Six Nations Council

Artists creation of woman on white background looking off to side with dark hair, wearing a light green top and dark complexion. Blue water splashes in background.
Ohneganos-Logo- from the project website
David Moses - CKRZ - Ohsweken • ON | 29-05-2023
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Ohneganos (Oh-neg-a-nos) is an Indigenous water research program led by McMaster University Professor, Dr. Dawn Martin Hill. As part of the Six Nations Elected Council Ethics Committee recommendations, Professor Dawn Hill made a presentation to the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) On Tuesday May 23 on the findings of Co-Creation and Ohneganos regarding the aquifer of Six Nations as it considers environmental stressors.

The project utilizes Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, Training, along with a Co-Creation of Mixed-Method Tools to innovate a research framework that is informed by its Indigenous community partners. It facilitates sharing through integration of Western science and Indigenous and local knowledges. Its purpose is to investigate Indigenous water insecurity and focuses on two communities, the Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, and the Lubicon Lake Band of Little Buffalo in northern Alberta. 

Both communities suffer and have suffered from generations of limited access to clean drinking water and both are worried about the level of pollution in the water and ecosystems that their communities rely on. From its many years of research Ohneganos has received many awards including a 2021 People's choice award from the David Suzuki Foundation and a 2021 publishing award with Princeton University.

In her presentation, Professor Hill pointed out the impact of health stressors and water anxiety especially concerning young moms, vulnerable populations and access to clean water as well as the community at large.

Another point of discussion revolved around the approximate 100 dams that are found along the Grand River, the Six Nations main source of water used by the water treatment plant. Hill said many of the dams no longer serve any use and that the water is dirtiest between Brantford and Six Nations.

You can hear and see Hill's entire presentation by going to the SNEC Facebook page.

Listen to the full report including Professor Dawn Hill's introduction overview to the Six Nations Elected council of Ohneganos below.

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