Since 1991, World Water Week has been held every year in Stockholm. In recent years, the water conference has worked to have a greater focus on indigenous peoples, and this year indigenous peoples from, among others, the USA, Australia and Sápmi participated.
Aana Edmondson represented Sáminuorra together with Tilde Renman, and she thinks that the conference is doing very well but that more can be done.
– If they want to raise the indigenous perspective, they must make it easier for us. We’ve had great support, but we would need even more because there are many hours that we put into this in the evenings and weekends on our own time, says Edmondson.
Can do more for indigenous people
Phil Duncan is an honorary professor at two universities and belongs to the Australian indigenous population and was in Stockholm to raise the indigenous perspective.
– I think it’s a shame that indigenous representatives have to ask to participate, we don’t have access to the funding that big companies have. They need to rethink how they can support us, especially young people who can come to similar events and have the opportunity to influence.
What can you do to raise this issue?
– When I came here six years ago, there were six non-national representatives who participated. Then no Sámi participated, this year 60 from indigenous groups are participating and Sámi lead the conversation. Change is coming, but it is not happening in the way we want.
Does the change need to go faster?
– Not necessarily faster, but we want to implement a stronger change. We must continue to lift up indigenous voices.
“Very important to include indigenous people”
David Herbert Coleman works for Stockholm’s International Water Institute, where he, among other things, works with the climate issue linked to water and to raise the indigenous perspective.
– Indigenous voices have not been so strong when it comes to water, so I think it is very important to include indigenous people and their values, he says.
Several people that SVT Sápmi has spoken to have given some criticism for the water conference being exclusive to those who do not come from the corporate world.
– In recent years, World Water Week has tried to be more inclusive, then it is that we do not always know what the word inclusive means. This year and last, we’ve been looking for new means to increase Indigenous participation and voices. For us, this means that we need to reach out to donors who are alienated from the values.