Generation Next: Autumn Peltier

In a country where resources should be plentiful, Autumn Peltier fights tirelessly to provide clean drinking water to all First Nations communities across Canada. Because of government neglect, many Indigenous families have spent over a decade living under boil water advisories with little hope of having them lifted. As chief water commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation, sixteen-year-old Peltier is determined to restore and protect the water so that this essential lifeforce is not reserved for only the privileged.

Water is a culturally sacred element for Peltier, who learned about its significance, value, and power from her great-aunt Josephine. Peltier explains that our relationship with water begins in the womb, where we are given life. During those first nine months, we learn the important lesson of how to love our mother and the water. Raised with this spiritual knowledge, Peltier was surprised to learn that not all First Nations children grow up with access to clean water—which happened, ironically, in the restroom during a water ceremony at a neighboring Indigenous community, where she saw several warnings that read, “Boil Water Advisory. Not for Consumption.”

In 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to end all boil water advisories in First Nations communities by this March but was unable to fulfill his commitment. Fifty-four long-term advisories remain out of 159, a crisis that has been exacerbated by the coronavirus, leaving families more vulnerable than ever. “The way I look at the situation is, two steps forward and one step back, so it’s always a continuous issue,” says Peltier. “I think the government promising that they’re going to resolve all these advisories and then not doing it is honestly disrespectful. A lot of these communities have been on boil water advisories for more than ten, fifteen, even twenty years.”

Among the uncertainty and broken promises, Peltier remains grounded in her message: “I want to use my voice for the communities that can’t.” Her audience has grown considerably since she first started speaking publicly at age ten. Now, she regularly addresses world leaders around the globe, from prime ministers and presidents to princes and kings. Having spoken before the United Nations in 2018 and 2019, Peltier was invited to join the World Economic Forum early last year, where she was able to engage in many proactive conversations and receive valuable feedback on how Canada can address its water crisis. She shyly admits how proud she is of these engagements because, when her message is being heard, Peltier feels at her most powerful and accomplished.

As with any cause, there has been backlash, and Peltier is no stranger to negativity. Whenever she starts to feel overwhelmed, Peltier reaches inward and remembers what her great-aunt Josephine told her before she passed: “People are going to try to stop you, but you have to keep doing what you love.” For Peltier, that means continuing her role as a Water Warrior, advocating for Indigenous communities who have waited too long for their right to clean water.

Read this story and many more in print by ordering our inaugural issue here. See the full Generation Next series here.