Ochapowace Chief Offers Take On Water Dispute
Friday, May 18, 2007 at 14:48
The leader of the Ochapowace First Nation says he’s not sure what the future holds for his band’s water supply.
Chief Denton George says that despite lengthy negotiations, the band is no closer to resolving a water dispute that has existed since 1978.
The Ochapowace and Piapot First Nations contend government regulators are not doing enough to ensure the quality of their drinking water.
They want the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority and the Prairie Farm Administration to quit allowing water they say is contaminated to be dumped into the Qu’Appelle River system.
George says the cities of Moose Jaw and Regina are being allowed to dump their sewage into the system.
He doesn’t think that should be allowed to happen, and mainstains an independent study has shown vast problems being caused by the practice.
George says his people drink and fish in the water and he wants something done about it.
He says the RCMP were once thinking about laying charges against the two groups, but have since refused to do so.