Without Water Symposium tackled watershed security – e-KNOW.ca

June 9, 2025

On Thursday, June 5, the ‘Without Water’ Symposium took place on Yaq ̓ it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it First Nation territory (Grasmere), bringing together Indigenous leaders, scientists, government representatives, community members, and industry to address watershed values, knowledge, and decision making in southeast B.C.

Throughout the day, over 50 delegates discussed watershed challenges including drought, pollution, and the uncertainty of climate change. Yaq ̓ it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it Councillor Kyle Shottanana opened the event with a speech on the sacredness of water, and expressed powerful words during an interview on CBC’s Daybreak Kamloops.

“The necessity of water is in everything that we see,” said Shottanana during the interview. “Everything around us has to do with water from the plants, to the sky, and ʔa·kxam ̓ is q ̓ api qapsin – all living things”