In recent years, members of several Manitoba first nations have spoken out about the prevalence of violence committed by members of hydro construction crews—in both the past and in recent times—disclosing that many women were sexually assaulted by workers who lived in those temporary hydro construction camps. Four Manitoba first nations have recently called for a public inquiry into these abuses, which were also documented in the 2018 “Regional Cumulative Effects Assessment” report by the Clean Environment Commission. We support this call for inquiries into these abuses.
Indigenous societies understand water as a living being that must be respected and protected. This understanding of water makes the harm from hydro dams even more painful, dangerous and a form of violence. They also understand women as having a special relationship to water, in part through the water associated with carrying and birthing babies. Because of this, women have a special responsibility to protect water and tend a relationship with it. Canada's exclusion of indigenous women from having a voice in relation to water and water use is another form of cultural violence that also squanders important knowledge and strength that would benefit Canadian society.
We also want to stress that while communities have suffered a lot of harm from hydro dams, they are also communities with a lot of strength. There are concrete steps that can be taken to reduce and partly reverse the damage from hydro power. We'd be happy to talk about that more. These are steps to help communities regain safety, identity, cohesion and, even more importantly, to support their revitalization and the transmission of languages and cultures as the essential foundation for healthy and vibrant communities.