Water and Indigenous People

Thematic Session organized by UNESCO-CSI (Coastal Regions and Small Islands) on 20 March 2000 during the Second World Water Forum (The Hague, Netherlands 17-22 March 2000).

Indigenous peoples have sophisticated knowledge and practices relating to water, its use and management. In this session Aboriginal (Australia), Cree (Canada), Fijian (Fiji), Hopi (USA), Ibaloi-Igorot (Philippines), Karen, Thai (Thailand) and San (Namibia/Botswana)case studies were presented and discussed.

Participants stressed that, having examined the Forum documents, it is clear that indigenous/tribal peoples, their unique systems of values, knowledge and practices have been overlooked in the world water vision process. It was concluded that there is an urgent need to correct the imbalance of mainstream-thinking by actively integrating indigenous women and men in the subsequent phases starting with the framework for action (cf. Actions).

Conference Report - Thematic Session (.pdf)
Programme and summaries (.pdf)
Website: Second World Water Forum

 

 

Programme and Abstracts

PART I
SPIRITUALITY, KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE

Dreaming Water and Making Rain in Aboriginal Australia
Tjama Freda Napanangka & Joan Nagomara, Great Sandy Desert (Australia) 

"If you eat from the forest, you must protect it. If you drink water from the river, you must conserve it" - Water conservation and the Karen people of Thailand
Jonni Odochao, Karen Village Headman (north Thailand) with Chayan Vaddhanaphut, Chiang Mai University (Thailand)

Water Rituals and Conflicts: managing a scarce resource in the Pacific Islands
Milika Naqasima-Sobey, University of the South Pacific (Fiji)

A History of Water Resource Access in the Kalahari: San perspectives on the role of modern technology in dispossession and poverty
Joram /Useb, Assistant to the Co-ordinator, Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (Namibia) with Cornelis VanderPost, Kuru Development Trust (Botswana)

 

 

PART II
MPACTS OF WATER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ON INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENTS

Indigenous Peoples and Large Scale Water Development
Joji Cariño, Commissioner, World Commission on Dams (Philippines)

Water, Livelihood and Dams: Experiences from Thailand
Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, Chiang Mai University (Thailand)

The Fate of a River: from social product to energy production (Cree Indians and Hydro-Québec)
Marie Roué, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France)

Where waters once flowed... - The impacts of large scale coal mining on Hopi lands
Vernon Masayesva, Coyote Clan of the Hopi, northern Arizona (USA)Debate

 

 

PART III
CD-ROM PRESENTATION

Yapa - Ritual Art of the Central Desert: Water in Walpiri cosmology and society (Aboriginal people of Lajamanu, Australia)
Barbara Glowczewski-Barker, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France)

Back to top