Water Insecurity and Maternal Health Among Haudenosaunee Women in Canada

Med Anthropol. 2023 Aug 18;42(6):535-550. doi: 10.1080/01459740.2023.2235629. Epub 2023 Jul 17.

Abstract

Water is central to Haudenosaunee knowledge, philosophy, and culture. The health of Haudenosaunee mothers is tied to that of water. Today, the lack of access to reliable drinking water for Six Nations is a significant health concern. Technical measurement of water advisories in Canada fails to understand the interwoven relationship that Haudenosaunee women have with water. Highlighting the voices of 55 Haudenosaunee women, we provide expanded definitions of water insecurity and maternal health to include more-than-human beings. This comprehensive understanding of water insecurity and health shapes SN mothers' experiences with water in a settler colonial state, affecting their holistic wellbeing.

Keywords: Canada; Indigenous women; maternal health; traditional ecological knowledge; water insecurity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anthropology, Medical
  • Canada
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Maternal Health*
  • Water
  • Water Insecurity*

Substances

  • Water