As part of her work for the WEPGN project and PoWG, EDGES alumna Rosie Simms prepared a new annotated bibliography on indigenous water governance in BC. This annotated bibliography summarizes literature on key topic areas relating to Indigenous water governance, with a primary geographic focus on British Columbia and Canada. This is a critical thematic area to explore for several reasons: First Nations across Canada and British Columbia have clearly identified the significance of water and water governance to their communities; there is increasing legal recognition of Aboriginal rights and title and an accompanying affirmation that First Nations must have a say in decisions that impact their territories; and there are shifts unfolding in water governance in British Columbia which have implications for First Nations across the province, most notably the approval of the new Water Sustainability Act in 2014. This bibliography includes additional literature from the USA, Australia, and New Zealand contexts to highlight further theoretical contributions on the subject of Indigenous water governance.

In light of these points, central themes included in this bibliography are Indigenous governance and socio-cultural relationships with water; water allocation and implications for Indigenous water rights; the legal framework for Indigenous territorial and water rights in British Columbia, and drinking water issues on First Nations reserves across Canada. Given a growing focus in British Columbia and Canada on collaborative water governance at the watershed level, we also include a small sample of literature on these themes, mindful that both of these topic areas have large bodies of associated scholarship. This document also includes literature and resources related to research ethics and forming research agreements with Indigenous communities.

The full annotate bibliography is available HERE.