Our Relationship to Water and Experience of Water Insecurity among Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) People, Montana

Christine Martin, Vanessa W. Simonds, Sara L. Young, John Doyle, Myra Lefthand and Margaret J. Eggers
Additional contact information
Christine Martin: Crow Tribe of Indians, Crow Agency, MT 59022, USA
Vanessa W. Simonds: Crow Tribe of Indians, Crow Agency, MT 59022, USA
Sara L. Young: Crow Tribe of Indians, Crow Agency, MT 59022, USA
John Doyle: Crow Tribe of Indians, Crow Agency, MT 59022, USA
Myra Lefthand: Crow Tribe of Indians, Crow Agency, MT 59022, USA
Margaret J. Eggers: Crow Environmental Health Steering Committee, Little Big Horn College, Crow Agency, MT 59022, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-20

Abstract: Affordable access to safe drinking water is essential to community health, yet there is limited understanding of water insecurity among Native Americans. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to describe Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) tribal members’ experiences with water insecurity. For Apsáalooke people, local rivers and springs are still vitally important for traditional cultural activities. We interviewed 30 Native American adults living on the Crow Reservation in Southeastern Montana. Participants answered six open-ended interview questions about their water access, costs of obtaining water and changes in their domestic and traditional water uses. Participants emphasized how the use of water has changed over time and described the complex challenges associated with addressing water insecurity in their community, including the importance of considering the spiritual and cultural impacts of water insecurity on health. Water insecurity is a growing global problem and more attention and efforts are needed to find appropriate and affordable solutions.

Keywords: Native Americans; water insecurity; environmental justice; health disparities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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