Shamattawa First Nation speaks out on the ongoing class action lawsuit against the federal government

As the federal government and dozens of First Nations battle in court over access to clean drinking water, one First Nation under a boil water advisory since 2018 has spoken out, denouncing the government’s actions.

At a press conference Wednesday, Shamattawa Chief Jordna Hill, highlighted the struggles of living under a water boil advisory for six years, which led to a class action lawsuit, later joined by fifty-nine other First Nations.

“It’s difficult to boil your water every time you want to drink or cook something, it bogs you down mentally. It just hurts everybody,” said Hill.

The lawsuit seeks compensation and a court order that the federal government provide safe drinking water and proper funding for water systems on reserve. Despite the feds pledging to help First Nations lift long-term drinking water advisories after another settlement in 2021, Chief Hill says little has changed.

“If you have 59 communities with literally thousands of people waiting to get after Canada to be accountable for the service they have to deliver,” explained Hill.

“They say the federal government is responsible for Indians and Indian land, everything in there, and as far as that matters Canada is not doing their job if they have to be in court.”

While the Shamattawas water treatment plant is 95 per cent after the feds promised upgrades, Chief Hill says federal barriers and insufficient funding are delaying its completion.

“They’re blaming us for the delaying of the project, which is not our fault, it’s the nature of the ice breakup that the water intake has been damaging every year.”

Lawyer Alana Robert notes the most recent auditor general’s report shows chronic underfunding of water infrastructure on reserves, which she says is a problem the federal government has acknowledged but not fully addressed.

“Canada has accepted those findings, but the money hasn’t followed in the amount needed to actually fix these chronic issues on reserve,” said Robert.

The court date is set for October 7th to 9th in Ottawa. This is as the federal government advances Bill C-61 the First Nations Clean Water Act. CityNews reached out to the government for comment but has not heard back at this time.