Conceptualizing Water: A Critical Reflection (2017)

Water is essential for all life and is what connects us in many cultures. Speaking of water brings many things into consideration. From the metaphorical to political in its varying uses and significance, water is more than what we often see it as. Water is a topic of growing momentum today. The goal of this paper is to provide an overview of relationships, wisdom and approaches to water and water justice and how it can be conceptualized through Indigenous worldview. It is organized in three chapters: the first addresses the differences of water in Western/dominant worldview and in Indigenous law, how the commodification and bottling of water has adversely affected the environment and health, as well as highlighting some problems it has led to in Ontario. The second chapter discusses Indigenous women’s knowledge and connection to water, the negative health impacts of polluted water on reproductive roles and the importance of recognizing women in mobilizing change for water justice. Lastly, I incorporate the significance of water from my own lens through self-reflection and personal experiences to inspire a more comprehensive understanding of it.

Author(s): Nasreen Hussain

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