Native Americans from South Dakota are leading the effort to educate the public about water conservation, land restoration and clean accessible water. Grass roots Lakota tribal members are holding a three-day water summit on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation.
Candace Ducheneaux is the water summit spokesperson. She says their goal, is to gain solidarity among the world’s indigenous populations in combating the world water crisis and the impacts of climate change.
“You know, people are used to just raping the land and not giving anything back, not caring about the land,“ Ducheneaux observes. “And so that’s why we need to do that here. In the beginning we were given the stewardship of the Earth…the Red Nations. So, we need to start fulfilling those obligations. That time has come.”
Ducheneaux says one solution for restoring drought-stricken areas is a process where micro-dams are built at various elevations to redirect water to arid land.
She says these “check-dams” are just one of the topics on the agenda at the water summit. Natives, non-Natives, water activists and at least one international hydrologist are scheduled to attend.
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