The Community Water Fountain of Garden Hill First Nation

As government initiatives often take years for changes to be put into place, First Nations communities are forced to seek temporary solutions.

An example of this is the community of Garden Hill First Nation in Northern Manitoba. A CBC news article from January of 2019 reports the daily struggle residents face in acquiring clean water. Many homes do not have adequate plumbing systems that will connect them to a water treatment facility. One solution came in the form of a community water fountain, which has residents making multiple trips in one week to provide their families with clean water for drinking and bathing.

This is an example of a temporary, community-oriented fix due to a failure of federal intervention. It highlights the cooperation between community members, but a need for government funding to aid in the acquisition of more efficient solutions. Gardner and Stern (2002) stress the importance of group characteristics in a successful community resource management. They note that these groups tend to be stable in terms of internal growth, with few individuals leaving and moving in. The members must also be keen on maintaining a resource (p 130). Therefore, future solutions may fare better with increased engagement and educating communities. Overall, the importance of this message is that certain levels of government engagement, such as funding, are necessary for sustainable changes.