The Ohneganos Water Research Project is hoping its virtual reality (VR) experience will engage youth and be able to teach people about the importance of water and the lack of clean drinking water access in many communities.

The project is being led by Dr. Dawn Martin-Hill, a professor with McMaster University from Six Nations of the Grand River. In their research, Martin-Hill said that the group focused on the relationship between water, health and wellbeing which continues to be an area of focus for the Ohneganos Project.

Martin-Hill added that the VR experience's primary goal is to engage more people, especially the youth, on water topics. The VR experience allows people to immerse themselves virtually as they travel through time in a canoe down the Grand River, learning about traditional Haudenosaunee culture and witnessing the world around them transform. The journey tells the Indigenous story of Skywoman and how the earth was created and how it came from water.

"We just want people to understand our world view, and this is kind of setting the world view up for them," she said.

Martin-Hill said the feedback the project team has received from the VR experience has been very positive to date, including reviews from individuals who have worked on games like Roblox and Minecraft. The gaming developers group was able to offer feedback on what Ohneganos should be doing, how to market it and how they plan to transition the experience into a game. She also stated that Canadian Geographic have been in contact with the group about the VR experience and are meeting with Martin-Hill to discuss helping more with the project and the gaming component.

"They said they loved the VR, they were exposed to it on Global Water Futures website," she said.

"They're interested in helping with the VR and the gaming component, because I guess that is their mandate with the mapping projects that they've been doing," she continued.

Martin-Hill said her hope is to have the VR experience roll out in a year once it is ready to be professionally marketed. She said the VR will be free of charge and accessible to all schools and can be used as a learning tool by them.

In an interview with CJKS, Martin Hill also spoke on other projects the Ohneganos team has been working on including the "Let's talk Water" podcast hosted by Makasa Lookinghorse, Lookinghorse's involvement in the #nonestle campaign, and the current and future water issues being faced by many First Nations people.

Listen to the full CJKS story below: