The Problem
The Project ‘Water: Sacred and Scarce’ will involve a cultural exchange between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth using Skype in the classroom and other tech tools to empower students as leaders to protect water in their communities and homes.
Our Plan
The goal of the project is to raise awareness of water issues in our country and guide youth, our hope for the future, to find long-term sustainable solutions. This project will have a positive impact by empowering youth in leadership positions to incorporate traditional knowledge with modern science to bring a new and holistic perspective on the need to protect our natural environment and the interconnectedness between peoples, animals and the environment.
This project ties into the theme of Indigenous Perspectives by incorporating Indigenous knowledge on water from elders and youth living in remote Northern Ontario communities, with the voices of non-Indigenous youth living in major cities.
The project will begin with researching local water issues with a visit to the local Credit River. Students will Skype with other classes from across the country comparing tap water results and prior to participating in a 'Water Walk' with the Junior Water Walkers, students will meet virtually with a Water Elder to learn Indigneous 'Ways of Knowing.'