Kipiyododan Nibi: We Protect the Water. A conversation on collective Water protection, Indigenous rights and relationality

This article presents the experience of Dara Wawatie-Chabot, a member of Ikwe Ganawenindan Nibi - a collective of Indigenous women living on unceded Algonquin territory who are engaged in protecting Nibi (Water). It demonstrates the value of a respectful and dynamic relationship that emphasizes allyship and relationality in the collective effort to protect Nibi, which is part of Aki (Land), while affirming the inherent rights of Indigenous people and of future generations. To honor the oral tradition and Indigenous pedagogies, this article takes the form of a conversation between Dara Wawatie-Chabot, an Algonquin Anishinaabe political science student, researcher and organizer, from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg and Barriere Lake, Quebec, and Emmanuelle Larocque, a non-Indigenous social work professor and activist who takes the role of an active learner. Through their conversation, Dara offers insights on the intersections between Water protection, Indigenous rights, sovereignty and resurgence, and Emmanuelle gains a deeper appreciation for the role of Indigenous knowledge in ecological management and beyond. By challenging Eurocentric ontologies with the knowledge of local Indigenous people, the article demonstrates how colonization and ongoing systematic violence continues to impact Indigenous peoples, their ways of life, and all living beings (humans and non-humans).