Matawa Water Futures

Project Summary:

Matawa Water Futures (MWF) will foster the development of a water monitoring framework that advances MFN’s capacity to understand, predict, and adapt to environmental change, while responding to development pressures.

MWF is grounded in a few core principles:

• Transitioning watershed governance towards incorporation of Indigenous peoples’ roles, knowledge, values, and priorities;
• Finding new ways of braiding water science and Indigenous knowledge for water monitoring and watershed management;
• The principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Project Background:

The Matawa Water Futures project was co-developed between Matawa First Nations Management and Wilfrid Laurier University following the Matawa Chiefs Council Resolution #11-02-08-18: Watershed Stewardship Capacity Building, as a proposal to Global Water Futures.  The over 180,000 square kilometers of watersheds associated with the Matawa member First Nations homelands form an integral part of their culture and heritage and are directly linked to their sustained health and long term sustainability.  In light of this, and in light of Matawa member First Nations' intent to lead watershed stewardship within their traditional territories, the Matawa Chiefs resolved to seek opportunities to increase capacity actively steward community watersheds.  The Matawa Chiefs further resolved that all watershed stewardship initiatives will be guided by and centred in community values, priorities and processes and would engage Elders.