Indian Water Rights

For many cultures around the globe, water is a vital part of everyday life. In some ethnic groups, men or women may spend hours every day in an effort to obtain water to sustain their families. Although from an outside perspective it appears people living in America have the ability to obtain an adequate amount of purified water, an inside look reveals a nation of people suffering from lack of a clean water supply, that of the Navajo. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the health impact of inadequate access to water on the Navajo nation as well as globally, and to indentify nursing implications and interventions involved with this life-giving resource.

The Navajo Struggle

The Navajo reservation was established in 1868. Since that time, Navajos living in the region extending from Flagstaff, Arizona to San Luis Valley, Colorado have been surviving on the limited amounts of water available in this desert region. Even today, some of the Navajo people must drive great distances to obtain drinking water from a coin-operated water tank in Gallap, New Mexico. The tank includes a fire hose hanging off the end of it from which people obtain their water. Water is stored in water tanks and gallon drums and hauled back to whatever area of the reservation the person came from. A few times, Navajos have experienced technical difficulties with the tank, where a jammed quarter in the coin-slot prevented everyone from securing the water they came in desperate need of (Jenkins, 2008).

With access to clean drinking water so restricted, many Navajos are very emotional about this precious resource. Many questions about the safety and adequate quantity of the water have arisen among the tribe. The inability to obtain enough clean drinking water poses obvious health risks for the Navajo nation. Clean drinking water facilities good hydration, sanitation, and prevents the spread of diseases such as cholera (Jenkins, 2008). Because of this reality, Navajos have hearkened back to what is known as the Winters decision. According to this ruling issued by the United States Supreme Court in 1908, Indian tribes were granted "the right to claim water sufficient to create what would later be termed a permanent homeland" (Jenkins, 2008). Many Navajos feel the time has now come to claim their water from the San Juan and Colorado Rivers. Although the Navajo have been issued the Winters rights, they face opposition in securing water from the seven western states which also glean this resource from the San Juan and Colorado Rivers (Jenkins, 2008).

A Similar Situation in Myanmar

A global look at the world also illustrates the struggle to gain access to clean water in Myanmar. Ravaged by a cyclone recently, many regions of the country lie in ruin, leaving drinking water mixed with sewage and trash. This polluted water leaves families at severe risk for diarrheal diseases and poor sanitation. Also due to severe flooding, pools of standing water make perfect beds for mosquitoes to spread malaria and other illnesses. The militaristic government of Myanmar has been refusing to allow foreign aid to be sent to the storm's victims, including bottled water, while many people continue to die (Newman, 2008). Although the tragedy of Myanmar's story is apparent when compared to the plight of the Navajos, both cultures are in desperate need of water, a vital source of life, and both peoples are struggling with opposition from within their own governments in obtaining the water they need. Myanmar's situation is more life-threatening, but the predicament of both cultures serves as a perfect example of the necessity for clean water in the promotion of a healthy life.

Nursing Implications

Limited access to clean water has many implications for nurses. Polluted water is a breeding ground for many diseases such as cholera, malaria, and dengue fever (Newman, 2008). Also, when clean water is not available, sanitation is decreased, leading to a myriad of other health concerns such as life-threatening diarrhea. In the case of the Navajo nation, where people must travel great distances to obtain water, there is the issue of a disruption in family life and the possibility of having to go without drinking water for a time if the tank is inaccessible. Navajos and other global communities might encounter dehydration as a result of an insufficient supply of water, along with a poor quality of life from missing out on this vital resource.

Nursing Interventions

Although water access is a complicated issue, nurses can do much in their sphere of influence to aid people in their plight. Specifically for the Navajo nation, nurses could be advocates along with members of the community in trying to claim water rights and lobbying for water treatment plants and pipes to get the resource into the homes of the people. In the meantime, nurses could serve as public educators in teaching people how to store water safely, and techniques of purification. Globally nurses can play a large role in humanitarian efforts to educate across cultures about water sanitation and join organizations that participate in lobbying for people to be provided with access to clean water wherever they live.

Conclusion

Clean water truly plays an essential role in promoting life. The many health implications involved with not having adequate access to this resource call for drastic measures to be taken by nurses and the world community as a whole. As countries across the globe pull together to face the problem of water access, progress can be made in putting nations such as the Navajos in the position to finally benefit from this life-giving and sustaining resource.

References

Jenkins, M. (2008, April 17). Seeking the water jackpot. Retrieved May 14, 2008 from

http://navajotimes.com/news/041708water.php
Newman, A. (2008, May 9). U.N. pressures Myanmar to allow aid. Retrieved May 14, 2008 from http: //www.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/world/asia/09myanmar.html