A group known as the Indigenous Saskatchewan Women’s Environmental Water Advocacy Keeper (ISKWEWAK) launched a water movement that started on August 1 and runs until August 6. This water movement is a call to educate and urge those living near the Saskatchewan River Delta to resist the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation project, in an effort to protect the delta.
This has been an ongoing effort that is now making its way into Manitoba.
“For me, this started way back, like 20 years ago,” said ISKWEWAK Member Denise Mckenzie. “My husband, who was with the NI Trappers, and I were trying to advocate about what was happening with the water. There was no flow going in; everything was starting to dry up. There was a smell to it, and the animals weren’t area. Everything was dying out.
“We kept getting the runaround. We went to federal and provincial government, with Justice and Environment. They referred us to Water Security and they referred us to the Watershed. Then when the Watershed Department came in and sent someone out to inspect, he said everything was good. We kept getting the runaround and nothing was happening.