Faith, Reconciliation, and Ecological Stewardship: Living Waters Panel Reframes Water Crisis

During this Season of Creation, community members gathered at the FCJ Retreat and Conference Centre along the Elbow River for Living Waters: Faith, Stewardship, and the Future of Our Rivers. Featuring Indigenous leader Rev. Tony Snow, theologian Dr. Christina Conroy, and Christian ethicist Dr. Gordon King, the panel explored how faith, traditional Indigenous knowledge, and environmental ethics must unite to protect our shared water resources.

Rev. Tony Snow opened the conversation by framing water not as a utility or commodity, but as a living relative and as a sacred medicine. In Indigenous worldviews, all elements of creation, including rocks, air, water, and human-made objects, possess a spirit. In the Stoney Nakoda tradition, the word for water (mni) translates directly to "life itself" or "how I live".

Rev. Snow highlighted local sites of deep spiritual significance, including Emnatka (Mount Yamnuska), Mni Wakan (Lake Minnewanka), and the Bow and Elbow rivers, emphasizing the long history of Indigenous guardianship over these sacred waters.

Dr. Christina Conroy and Dr. Gordon King expanded on the theological and ethical dimensions of water stewardship, connecting global realities to local action. Dr. Conroy reminded participants that humans are an integral part of creation, relying entirely on natural ecosystems for survival.

Drawing on Catholic Social Teaching, she noted that access to clean water is a fundamental right to life rather than a market product. Dr. King introduced the concept of global "water bankruptcy", a state where water consumption drastically exceeds natural replenishment. With declining underground aquifers and melting glaciers, he emphasized that society must shift from short-term fixes to deep, systemic change.

Dr. Conroy also detailed the Bow River watershed's path from glacial sources through Calgary and eventually to Hudson Bay, illustrating how local river care directly affects communities and ecosystems thousands of kilometers downstream.

A central theme of the event was the inseparable link between environmental restoration and reconciliation, as historical decisions often excluded Indigenous voices from land and water management. Rebuilding trust requires making space at the decision-making table, practicing consensus building, and prioritizing marginalized voices.

The panelists invited attendees to start with simple, personal actions such as including local rivers and glaciers in daily prayers, protecting natural riparian zones along riverbanks to filter pollutants, and reducing household water consumption.

By grounding environmental care in faith, gratitude, and inclusive community, the panel challenged attendees to view local rivers not just as a natural resource, but as a shared responsibility and a vital neighbor. #