No clean water for most on reserve Located in southern Ontario, Six Nations is only a stone’s throw away from communities with clean, running water.
Nearly 80 First Nations communities are currently under long-term water advisories in Canada.
In fact, a state-of-the-art water purification facility was installed in 2013, at a cost of $41 million.
She described boiling large amounts of water for the day on the stove to use for cooking, cleaning and bathing before her home was connected to the plant.
And then, you know, when you just step off the reserve, everybody has running water in their schools and in their facilities."
Martin-Hill can enjoy potable running water where she works in Hamilton at McMaster University, a half-hour drive from her home.
The three-year project will study the health impacts of water quality on people and animals that live in both communities.
‘Country simply doesn’t care’ Martin-Hill is loathe to make public entreaties for more funding without providing more information and the wider context, knowing that it could play into stereotypes about Indigenous people.
If you’re building a house, you’ll need to pay for all of the house’s connecting infrastructure — including connections to hydro poles, gas lines and water pipes — yourself.
‘Environmental racism is alive and well’ Martin-Hill points to multiple cases of Indigenous communities suffering from disease and death thanks to long-neglected water quality.