Nipiy Wasekimew/Clear Water: the meaning of water, from the words of the elders, the interconnections of health, education, law and the environment

The meaning of water is the theme of this doctoral research from an Indigenous perspective. The study gathered traditional knowledge from the perspectives of three Elders from three different nations, the Cree, Nuu-Chah-Nulth, and Maori. The Elders’ knowledge and teachings were compared and contrasted and then correlated with scholarly literature. The purpose of the research is to find ways to protect water, encourage the sharing of traditional knowledge when appropriate, enhance community education and assist in policy development. Water is essential to life on Earth. This thesis is about listening to Elders’ teachings about water. It is about hearing from Elders who have an understanding of relationships between the elements and the relationship of humanity to all other life forms. Maori kaumatua (Elder) Huirangi Waikerepuru and the author developed an Indigenous model showing how health, education, traditional law and the environment are interconnected by water. Water is understood to be the physical manifestation of spirituality (Waikerepuru, 2001). In this doctoral study, Indigenous Elders were interviewed. Audiotapes of the interviews were then transcribed. A qualitative content analysis identified Indigenous principles about water and highlighted similarities and differences in the meaning of water between three Elders from the three nations. Meanings were drawn from words of Elders; the Elders’ interviews were compared to find similarities and differences. After identifying the meanings and priorities from the Elders, a selection of Indigenous and western scholarship was surveyed. Comparisons were drawn between the scholarly literature selected and the specific interviews. After the content analysis, a curriculum for community workshops and schools was developed to consider the application of emergent themes. Community based water policy development, and recommendations for improvements in the delivery of health, education, specific environmental legislation and policy recommendations resulted from the workshops. The outcomes of the research are described in the education model developed and the formation of a non-government organization that links traditional Elders and their communities with clean energy technologies.