Water is important to all living things, including humans. But how do we make sure our water stays plentiful and clean for future generations? This is the topic addressed during the Without Water Symposium coming up on Thursday, June 5th.
This public event is hosted on Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it First Nation land from 4:30-8:00 PM, and will feature a welcome ceremony, complimentary dinner, and keynote speakers. Afterwards, panelists from diverse groups will discuss their perspectives on water, and address community concerns.
Prior to the evening portion, invited delegates from Indigenous communities, government bodies, nonprofits, scientists, and industry representatives will spend the day discussing how we can use the best available knowledge to improve watershed decision making.
Kat Hartwig is the Executive Director of Living Lakes Canada and serves as the Steering Committee Chair of the Elk River Watershed Monitoring Collaborative. She says this event will be an important way for diverse groups to come together and find common ground.
“I don’t think anyone will disagree that we need clean, reliable water,” said Hartwig, “but how we protect water is a complex issue, and I believe we must learn from Indigenous Knowledge holders and reframe how we view water to make a real difference.”
This event is organized by Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it First Nation, Living Lakes Canada, and the Elk River Alliance on behalf of the Elk River Watershed Collaborative Monitoring program. This group hosted two similar events to engage the Elk Valley community in land use impacts on water, and ways of understanding water.
Caitlin Henneker, the program manager for the collaborative group, says this will be a great stride for the organization.
“I’m really excited to see this event come together. We’ve been working hard on building a united worldview from different perspectives, and this will be a huge step towards this process,” said Henneker.
The space has limited capacity with only 50 spots available. To attend the event, organizers request registration.
The organizers would like to express gratitude to event funders: Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it, Real Estate Foundation of BC, Pacific Institute of Climate Solutions, Indigenous Environmental Network, Western Mining Action Network, Steel River Group, Sitka Foundation, Columbia Power, and Fortis BC.
See our media coverage here:
- CBC Daybreak: Symposium in the Kootenays aims to address watershed health in BC
- Fernie Free Press: Grasmere symposium will discuss watershed health
- E-know: Without Water symposium June 5 in Grasmere