On Tuesday, May 27th, Watershed Ecosystems Project (WEP) members Rheanne Kroschinsky and Dawn Machin presented at the Canadian Water Resources Association National Conference held in Penticton, British Columbia on the unceded, traditional and ancestral territory of the Syilx Okanagan peoples.
The conference drew nationwide participation from various levels of government – First Nations, local, regional, provincial, and federal; non-governmental organizations; industry; and academia. The theme of the 2025 conference was, “Living Between Waters – Connecting Water & Resilience”, with programming emphasizing the importance of partnership development, multi-level and inter-agency coordination, Indigenous stewardship and decision-making, and the creation of a resilient vision for a shared water future.
In their presentation, graduate students Rheanne Kroschinsky and Dawn Machin shared their collaborative learnings over the past four years of partnership and project development, with a focus on the need for inclusion and recognition of Syilx water law, policy, processes, and authority in decision-making for the sqʷʔa (Peachland Creek) community watershed. This presentation illustrated the WEP’s community-engaged, interdisciplinary approach to governance development in Peachland, allowing time for critical relationship development and equitable collaborative design.
Rheanne guided the audience through the background of the WEP’s Governance activity design and objectives, the challenges identified and potential pathways for more sustainable and inclusive decision-making in Peachland. Dawn then offered insights into Syilx frameworks for water governance, the impact on water relationships as a result of colonization, and persevering Syilx assertion of rights and title through contemporary water relationships and impactful Syilx-led processes (such as Okanagan salmon restoration).
Both presenters highlighted the importance of relationships rooted in trust, transparency, and reciprocity, as being central to water governance processes – emphasizing the critical need for allowing ample time for these to develop, with equal contributions from all partners from the onset. They also highlighted the importance of identifying shared priorities for watersheds – common ground on which to establish partnership and co-create a shared watershed vision.
