This assignment will be submitted to Turnitin®.
Instructions
For this activity, your task is to review any of the case studies listed above. You may choose to use the Neskantaga Case Study or the one of the 3 Case Studies listed above.
Use the Case Study Template to ensure that all necessary information is included in the case study.
After sharing your case study and receiving feedback from a classmate, take this opportunity to review your work. You are invited to use the information included in the peer feedback to improve your case study. When you are satisfied with the end result, please submit your work for evaluation. You may wish to consult the rubric below for more guidance.
he Neskantaga Water Crisis- my case study
Introduction
Many people assume that in Canada, a developed country, all citizens have access to clean drinking water. This is not the case. In fact, many isolated communities in Canada have had experiences with undrinkable water. Because of their geographic location, a good proportion of them are First Nations communities, including Neskantaga. Water concerns can involve Boil Water, Do Not Consume, or Do Not Use advisories. These can occur as a result of poor water treatment, equipment failures, or flooding (Health Canada, 2015). The CBC reports that between 2004 and 2014, 400 out of the 618 First Nations in Canada had some type of drinking water problem. While the advisories in some communities last only a few days, some are much more substantial and can last up to 20 years – as in the case of Neskantaga First Nation. (CBC, 2015, Oct 14).
Neskantaga First Nation Water Crisis
Source
Neskantaga is located in the James Bay Lowlands and is a fly-in community, meaning that it is not accessible by roads. The more than 300 residents have been living with the boil water advisory that has been in effect since 1995. The government built a new water treatment plant in the community in 1993, and as early as 1994, problems became evident (CBC, 2015, Oct 5). The residents not only have to boil the water before it is considered safe for consumption, but also have medical complications because of using this water for hygiene purposes – this includes sores on their skin. People have taken to cleaning young children with hygienic wipes rather than bathing them because this would risk irritation. Because of the limited medical care in the community, these problems are compounded (CBC, 2015, Oct 14).
The Chief of Neskantaga has stated that the federal government has spent $1 million on bottled water for the community, and the proposed replacement plant would cost approximately $8 million. He also stated that the community is nineteenth in line for attention from the government for water plant upgrades. This is after 19 years of having these problems (CBC, 2015, Oct 5).
Change
Recently, the Liberal government – specifically, the Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett – has indicated in writing that it will fund the new plant. The government has also promised to provide the money needed to repair the existing plant temporarily (CBC, 2015, Dec 29).
More information on the water situation in First Nations communities is available on the Health Canada website.