Water in the Native World

Abstract:

Water plays a pivotal and sacred role in the cultures and knowledge systems of indigenous peoples. Hydrologic science can greatly benefit from indigenous perspectives on water, as these perspectives bring deep, place-based understanding to the study of complex natural and human systems, while also promoting sustainable solutions to some of society’s most pressing issues. In recent years, hydrologists began to consider people in water science and in general western scientists started to embrace and value indigenous knowledge and perspectives; however, the voices of indigenous people in the scientific community have been minimal in the past and remain nominal today, particularly in hydrologic sciences. This presentation focuses on water research on tribal lands and water challenges facing tribes including hydrology, water resources, water quality, climate change, water rights, traditional knowledge, cultural values, and environmental monitoring and environmental health. The goal to explore Native American perspectives and indigenous knowledge into hydrology research and education. Although indigenous peoples are internationally known as “water protectors”, the lack of indigenous voices is especially acute in hydrology, where only a handful of academic scholars represent a limited part of the spectrum of indigenous cultures and tribal nations in the United States. These same scholars are often called upon to place research findings and recommendations into culturally appropriate contexts for Native Americans and other indigenous communities. Their work often highlights challenges and opportunities for non-indigenous scientists and policy-makers concerned with water resources located on or near tribal lands and other indigenous communities. With this in mind, indigenous hydroscientists play a key role in bridging the communities of western scientific research and indigenous knowledge.