WC129 MarApr2023 - Flipbook - Page 8
OPERATORS
”Canada is overdue in recognizing these water heroes who
continue to work under exhausting circumstances day and night to provide
their families, friends, and communities the very essence of life.“
Honouring Hidden Heroes
National Indigenous Water Operators Day BY BITA MALEKIAN
F
Why March 21?
March 21, the day before World Water Day, was
chosen as NIWOD, to act as a reminder that before
World Water Day can be celebrated, we must first
recognize and honour the water operators responsible
for bringing the water we use everyday to our taps.
Water treatment operators are the heroes commu-
Bita Malekian
is an ambassador for
Water Movement.
8
WATER C AN ADA • M ARCH/APRIL 2023
nities forget to thank. This dedicated day celebrates
their continuous efforts working around the clock at
facilities to ensure clean, safe water, provides the profession with more respect, improves operator morale,
and strengthens the connection between communities and their operators.
The Next Generation
Every profession needs to be able to pass the
baton onto future generations. But the stigmas of
being underpaid and overworked that plague the
Indigenous water sector creates not only a problem
with retention but also with encouraging the next
generation to consider a career in water.
The first step to overcoming any issue is awareness. Students and aspiring operators need to know
of opportunities and have the profession promoted
with just as much appeal and prestige as becoming a
doctor, engineer, or police officer. Too few are aware
of the day-to-day life of a water treatment operator
and there is certainly no national recognition for
this profession. Just like September 30 now features
curriculum for students across Canada to learn about
Indigenous culture and history, March 21 has begun
sparking conversations about Water Keepers and the
sacredness of water, enticing students and others to
explore water sector opportunities with interest and
passion.
Sacredness of Water
Indigenous people, especially Indigenous women,
share a sacred bond with the spirit of water and have
a responsibility to protect and nurture water. While
water treatment operators share this responsibility
with Water Keepers, many Indigenous operators are
disconnected from the traditional and cultural aspects
of water. Proclaiming March 21 as NIWOD also
NIWOD: Water Movement, City Hall: CTV
ROM DOCTORS TO NURSES to grocery
clerks, communities found a new level of
appreciation and respect for essential workers
during the pandemic. Unfortunately, not all
professions received the same amount of attention and gratitude.
Water treatment operators in Indigenous communities, the unsung and hidden heroes who ensure
their communities receive clean water, not just for
drinking, but also for traditional ceremonies where
water, a sacred entity, is used, are all-too-often
forgotten. Canada is overdue in recognizing these
water heroes who continue to work under exhausting
circumstances day and night to provide their families,
friends, and communities the very essence of life. To
help provide that much-deserved recognition, Water
Movement, a national, non-profit organization,
inaugurated National Indigenous Water Operators
Day (NIWOD).
